


The Girl With The Red Bow

by Beej88



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: F/M, Romance, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:07:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 35,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27280921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beej88/pseuds/Beej88
Summary: Post-stars, the Senshi are living their best lives. Except for budding pop-idol Minako Aino whose loneliness is getting harder to hide. An incident with Pluto sends her hurtling back in time to the Silver-Millenium into Kunzite’s arms. What can she do to keep him without changing things in the future?
Relationships: Aino Minako/Kunzite, Chiba Mamoru/Tsukino Usagi
Comments: 76
Kudos: 71
Collections: Senshi & Shitennou Mini Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, all! 
> 
> This is my contribution for the Sen/Shi Mini bang 2020! The theme this year was Red and my wonderful, super talented artist was IamCharlotte88,  
> You can find all of her beautiful art on tumblr under that name!  
> My official posting date is November 2nd, but as this is a multi-chaptered fic, I am posting early to have everything posted by that date. 
> 
> Official thanks to the wonderful Mods that manage this event every year. I can't even comprehend how they do it, especially this year when the pandemic and real life made things especially hard. THANK YOU, MODS. You guys are incredible. 
> 
> Also, as usual, I need to thank my beautiful, bestie and bae-ta Ninjette Twitch. This girl had one helluva a year. She's incredible, and I would not have been able to write this without her. HEART YOU!

**Prologue**

Hibiya Park was jam-packed, the chorus of screaming fans deafening, if not muffled beyond Aino Minako’s temporary dressing room trailer. The makeup crew and her bubbly, pink-haired personal stylist, Mayu Lin, had departed only minutes before, probably followed by the overwhelming scent of her favorite lilac smelling perfume and a cloud of powder from the makeup they’d caked onto her skin. 

She was _perfect_ ; they’d exclaimed, starry-eyed, oohing and ahhing enviously as they’d fluffed her hair and dressed her in a sparkling gold confection that accentuated her curves and highlighted the natural golden tint of her skin. Minako gushed with them, giggling brightly, sashaying her hips in that daring, emboldened way that made her fans go wild and had landed her a spot in the front of Cutie magazine. 

Being a pop-idol had always been her end goal, after all. _This_ had always been her dream, taking only a backseat to her duties as Senshi leader back in the days when she’d raced through the streets of London, and then Tokyo, to protect Usagi and her Senshi sisters as they’d fought through one enemy after the next. 

With Galaxia’s defeat just a blip in their past, and her Princess thriving in the best ways possible, she’d metaphorically hung up her tiara and fuku and actively pursued her dream. 

Minako blinked, long false eyelashes fluttering and dusting the top of perfectly rosed cheeks. She studied her face in the Hollywood-style mirror that illuminated Mayu Lin’s perfectly crafted creation. The polished and poised star that would soon step out onto the raised, open-air stage in front of thousands to belt out the latest number one J-pop single that had been written specifically for her. 

_This_ was what she’d always wanted. It’s why she’d forced her way in as the Starlights manager so long ago, and it was why she’d auditioned for every pop-idol competition afterward. It was her drive, her ambition, and when Sailor Venus was no longer needed, she’d poured everything into becoming the pop idol currently reflected in the brightly-lit mirror that had probably cost her label a fortune.

Fluffing a bit of blonde hair, she practiced smiling, the rosy-hue of her lips curling up most convincingly. It was only recently that she found that her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. 

The brisk thud of someone knocking on the reinforced steel door startled Minako, and she jumped, pasting a practiced smile onto her lips before spinning away from the mirror. 

The interior of her trailer was a mess; name brand scarves slung over a sleek, leather sofa that she’d picked out herself, designer shoes, dresses, shirts, lacy pink bralettes, all haute couture, dropped haphazardly across her floor. She picked her way across the untidy whirlwind left in the wake of styling her for the evening and pulled open the door. 

The smile did reach her eyes then, and Minako squealed, positively delighted, as a certain odangoed blonde popped her head over the threshold. “Usagi-chan!” she exclaimed, practically bouncing on the balls of her stilettoed feet. “Oh, my gosh! What are you doing here? I didn’t think you were going to be able to make tonight’s show!”

Usagi was like a beacon of brightness when she smiled; cheeks tinged pink with happiness as she hopped up the steps and into Minako’s outstretched arms. “Oh, Minako-chan, you look _so_ glamorous!” 

Minako took a step back, truly happy to see her friend, and Princess, here tonight as she led her further into the trailer. “Oh, stop it, Usagi-chan,” she dismissed in a way that she would never have in their younger days. “It’s just another dress for another concert.” 

She was aiming for light-hearted, truly she was, but the words fell a little flatter than she’d intended. Minako cleared her throat, feeling flustered suddenly as she twisted around, gracefully making her way to the dressing room table and the already-opened bottle of champagne that her stern-faced manager always ensured was in her dressing room.

Pulling forward two crystal flutes, she lifted the bottle. “Do you want to toast with me before the concert?” she asked, tipping the bubbly liquid into the glass. “It’s like this weird tradition that I’ve started to do before I perform. I swear the bubbles make my voice sound better.” She giggled, raising the flute to her lips. “Float like a bee, they say.” 

When she dared to meet Usagi’s eyes in the reflection of the mirror, that soul searching cornflower-blue that was an almost identical shade to hers, it was hard not to wince. Usagi may have started as clumsy, whiney, perhaps a bit of a crybaby, but now, the Princess was the most perceptive person that she knew. 

Usagi took a tentative step forward, a vision in a casual pale pink sweater, and tilted her head to the side. The concerned expression on her face was enough to make Minako shift uncomfortably under her knowing stare. 

“No, thank you,” she declined the drink, gently placing her hand on her arm in a comforting manner. “Are you okay, Minako-chan? I’ve been worried about you. You didn’t seem like yourself at your last performance, and I know that the breakup with Saito-san was harder on you than you’re letting on.”

Minako swallowed, her throat constricting uncomfortably at the mention of her latest in a string of boyfriends that had gone as quickly as they’d appeared in her life. It was becoming apparent, now, the type of pattern she was subconsciously following. Saito had come the closest in physical appearance with his ice-blue eyes and cropped silver hair, but he was the furthest in personality to the dead General that would always haunt her dreams. 

With a practiced giggle and a slanted smirk, Minako propped a hand on her hip, twisted in a flourish of blonde hair, champagne teetering dangerously close to the lip of her glass, to face her friend. 

“Don’t you dare worry about me, Usagi-chan,” she reassured warmly. “It was a mutual thing.” With an exaggerated sigh, she tipped her head back with an eye-roll, lifting her hand to fan her face dramatically. “Oh, the woes of being a super beautiful and totally famous pop-idol!”

Usagi snorted, though Minako was pleased to note that the worried edge in her gaze had softened into amusement just as she’d intended. 

With a genuine smile, Minako held the champagne flute out to her friend. “Now, come on, girl,” she quipped brightly. “Toast with me!” 

Usagi’s smile shifted from amused to secretive and excited as she shook her head. “No thank you,” she declined again. “I actually _can’t_ drink…?”

Minako froze, inhaling sharply at the expectant look on Usagi’s face. It wasn’t until Usagi’s hand furtively brushed over her flat stomach that her fingers loosened, stunned, as the glass tumbled from her fingers, champagne spilling all over a forgotten pair of jimmy choo's as it shattered at her feet. 

She barely noticed, her hands clapped over her mouth as she squealed in delight, leaning forward and pulling Usagi into her arms. “Oh my God!” she squealed. “ _Oh my God,_ Usagi-chan! Are you… is it…?”

Usagi laughed, bright-eyed, and red-faced as she pulled out of Minako’s embrace. “Yes, I am, and yes, assuming that everything is as it should be, we’re sure that it's Chibiusa.” Usagi’s eyes welled with tears of happiness as she protectively curled her arms around her midsection, hugging her stomach. “Minako-chan, I’m _so_ excited.” She was breathless, her eyelids fluttering shut with a peace-filled smile curling onto her lips. “I’ve missed her so much.”

Minako blinked back her own tears, visions of the pink-haired little scamp flashing through her head. “Usagi-chan,” she breathed, her lower lip quivering. “I’m so happy for you.”

Usagi’s eyes fluttered open, and her responding smile lit up the room. “Thank you, Minako-chan,” she replied with a grateful laugh. “I wasn’t _supposed_ to tell you tonight. Mamo-chan is going to kill me. So are the girls. So far, it’s only you and Ami-chan that know.” 

Minako frowned, huffing indignantly. “ _Excuse me?”_ she demanded, arching a perfectly manicured brow. “You told Ami before _me?_ Betrayer!” 

Usagi rolled her eyes, smiling still as she moved towards the vanity table to inspect herself in the mirror. “Stop being so dramatic, Minako-chan,” she chided, tucking a tendril of curled baby hair behind her ear. “Ami-chan only knows because she did the ultrasound, just to check.” 

Minako crossed her arms, expression cross. “Your husband is an empath _and_ a doctor,” she pointed out. “He couldn’t check himself?” 

The pink tinge that fanned across Usagi’s cheeks and the bridge of her nose was decidedly adorable as her eyes took on that faraway, glazed look she so often wore every time she thought about Mamoru. It was difficult, sometimes, for Minako not to feel envious at what that must feel like. Though her love for Usagi and Mamoru superseded all of those petty emotions, of course. 

Usagi’s smile was adoring when she met her gaze. “Truthfully, Minako-chan, I’ve never seen Mamo-chan so flustered and protective.” She giggled in that lovestruck way that still hadn’t dissipated, even after all of this time. “I doubt he would have been able to do it given how nervous he’s acting. It’s actually very adorable.” 

Minako lifted her hands, grimacing. “Okay, okay, you get _one_ pass,” she conceded, waggling her finger. “But that’s it! I need to be the first to know these things! Next time I can’t be held responsible for my actions. You know, cause hell hath no fury like a woman whose best friend doesn’t tell her she’s having the baby that we all helped train to become a Senshi, first.”

Usagi snorted again, “I’m not sure that’s how that one goes, Minako-chan.” 

Minako shook her head. “Mm, I’m pretty sure it is.” 

Their eyes met, and in the next instant, all the amusement faded from their gaze as silence fell over them. Usagi’s brow furrowed as her smile lessened, and Minako tried not to squirm uncomfortably under her probing stare. 

Usagi tilted her head to the side, considering her for a moment, and Minako’s heart skipped a painful beat as she quietly willed her friend not to delve deeper. 

Finally, Usagi nodded, the movement imperceptible as if she understood, and she leaned forward to squeeze her arm. “I’m going to send Artemis home, Minako-chan,” she offered softly. “I know he misses you.” 

Minako shrugged with forced nonchalance. Her and Artemis had been inseparable for as long as she could remember. Still, Minako didn’t miss the solemn slump in his tiny shoulders, the mournful glint in his eyes the last time she’d toured, going even as far as North America. It had been her idea to send him home to Luna, who he’d pined for the entire time they were gone. 

“Usagi-chan, I’m fine,” Minako reassured firmly, her smile genuine when faced with tainting this beautiful moment for her friend. “Truly, I’m so happy; I’m, like, totally drowning in it.” 

It was a joke, a poor one, but Usagi sighed, nodding with acceptance. “If you say so,” she reluctantly conceded. “I’m going to be in the crowd with Mamo-chan, watching you sing. Maybe we can meet up after your show, yeah?”

Minako nodded, her response interrupted by another sharp knock on her trailer door. This time it was stern-faced Niko, the unfeeling manager who informed her with a rough edge in his tone that she was ten minutes behind schedule, and how the hell had the label saddled him with an irresponsible fashionista that had no regard for time? 

She’d giggled with Usagi, who’d departed with a wave and a warm smile that temporarily filled the hollowed void that was always present in Minako’s heart. 

With a final glimpse in the mirror, the blonde flicked her hair over her shoulder, fixed her signature red bow tightly with slender fingers before leaving the confines of her trailer, and sauntering onto the stage in front of a roaring crowd of eager fans. 

She belted out the melody to a song that held no meaning to her like she was a born diva. She worked that stage with a charisma that made the crowd go wild, and she smiled like she was on top of the world. 

It was only her that knew, in the very depths of her heart, that sometimes she didn’t see the faceless crowd in front of her. Sometimes, she let them all melt away as her gaze instinctively searched for a flash of distinctive ice-blue, or a glimpse of silver-grey that she’d never find except for at night in the refuge of her dreams. 

oOo 

There was always a certain amount of adrenaline that came with the rush of performing a perfect set, and it was effortless now as Minako tried not to let waiting crowds of fans crush her as she was escorted from the stage. She did the usual; she stopped, signed pictures, held hands, smiled for flashing lights, and blinding oversized lenses shoved into her face. This was what she’d wanted, after all. 

She scanned the crowd for Usagi, but she doubted that Mamoru would let her get crushed in the chaos of heavily-makeup-ed teenage girls and doting-eyed boys as they milled around the makeshift gates that wobbled dangerously close to toppling as they pressed against it.

It took longer than usual to get through the crowd as outdoor venues were always a little more difficult to contain than the safety of an indoor stadium. Minako breathed a sigh of relief, temporarily letting her smile slip as she fled into the safety of her trailer. The door snapped shut, thankfully muffling the synchronized shouts of fans demanding more outside. 

She was uncharacteristically exhausted, drained in a way that she hadn’t been since she’d spent her nights moonlighting as a Senshi, fighting off youmas, cardians, phages, or whatever else was lurking on the outskirts of their lives, seeking to destroy them.

She fully intended to ditch the dress, hunker down in something oversized, but comfortable, and slink out of here before anyone was the wiser. So, she didn’t expect to step into her trailer and come face to face with the scarily poised perfection of Setsuna. In her civilian form, the Senshi of Pluto sat, endlessly long legs curled primly at her ankles and billowing waves of emerald green hair cascading over her shoulders, on her leather sofa with a serene, knowing expression on her face. 

Instantly, Minako was on alert, spine straightening, hairs rising with alarm at the nape of her neck. The outer Senshi, despite Usagi’s protests otherwise, preferred to keep their distance. It was unusual to run into them outside of planned get-togethers or in dire situations. As Minako was not expecting a visit from Setsuna, she could only assume the worst as the Senshi in her roared to life, and she strode with purpose into the trailer. 

Her brow was knit, her shoulders squared as she stared down the calm, outer Senshi. “Setsuna-san,” she greeted, propping her hands on her hips. “This is a surprise.” 

Setsuna smiled, arching a brow, “I suppose it is, Minako-san,” she replied, her tone giving nothing away. “You sang beautifully tonight.” 

The blonde stepped back as Setsuna stood, her lithe form towering over her, expression guarded as she stepped past her and towards her vanity mirror. 

Frowning, Minako studied her nonplussed demeanor, her worries not eased in the slightest. “Thank you,” she quipped, eager to get on with the purpose of her visit. “What are you doing here, Setsuna-san? Is everything okay?” 

She said nothing at first, carefully inspecting the collection of red hair bows that Minako kept stored in an open, bedazzled glass bowl on her vanity table. The Senshi of Time simply smiled, lifting her gaze to meet hers in the reflection of the mirror. 

“You know that time is like a tapestry,” she started, her tone almost scarily steady as she spun around slowly to meet Minako’s gaze head-on. “It’s a bit like a web of threads that I can sense sometimes, and on occasion, I can pluck them at will. Though, doing so has proven dangerous at times.” 

Minako frowned, irritation clouding her confusion. Setsuna tended to speak in riddles, and she sucked at riddles. Like, truly, and totally sucked at them. “What are you talking about?” she snapped. “ _Is_ there something wrong?”

Luckily, Setsuna was endlessly patient, and Minako’s tone did not deter her. “Minako-san, we are about to be propelled into a new era,” she explained, her tone almost reverent as she took a step towards her. “It’s what we’ve been waiting for. The creation of Crystal Tokyo. Soon, Queen Serenity and King Endymion are going to take their place at the head of a new world that you will be expected to protect.”

Minako’s heart raced, breath hitched because she felt the weight of Setsuna’s words fall heavily on her shoulders. “Yes,” she managed. “ _I know all of this_. I’m ready for that, Setsuna-san.” 

She should have known, anyway, especially with the discovery that finally, after all of these years, Chibiusa had been conceived. 

Setsuna paused, considering her for a moment before she tilted her head in question. “Are you, though? Do you truly feel ready to move forward, one hundred percent loyal to your Princess?” She flicked her green hair over her shoulder; her expression suddenly softening sympathetically. “Can you be one hundred percent loyal to your role as Senshi leader?”

Minako felt like the outer Senshi had struck her, the wind knocked from her lungs. “How could you even ask me that?” she rasped furiously, uncomfortable with the strange ring of truth in Setsuna’s words that echoed in the cavity of her chest. “I have always put Usagi first, and I _always_ will.” 

Setsuna’s expression was grim, staring straight through her. “Without regret, Minako-san?”

Again, Minako was caught off guard. Completely unwilling to face that there was even a modicum of truth in that statement. “Of course!” she snapped. “I love Usagi more than I love anyone in this world, Setsuna-san. Being a pop-idol is noth—”

Setsuna interrupted her with a sharp stare and curt shake of her head. “You know that I was not referring to your temporary status as pop-idol.” 

Minako inhaled sharply, snapping her mouth shut because deep, _deep_ down, she knew exactly what, or _whom,_ Setsuna was referencing. 

Setsuna’s shoulders slumped with a sigh, and her expression was thoughtful as she twisted towards the mirror again. “Minako-san, the Princess needs us. She needs _you_. But the only way this works is if you can move forward without an ounce of regret.” Minako was alarmed by the look in her eyes when they met hers in the reflection. “I’ve caught a glimpse of what can happen should you continue down this path, and it doesn’t bode well for any of us.” 

Minako was practically trembling with the emotions tearing through her. The guilt that she might somehow _mess_ this up was overwhelming. 

“Setsuna-san, can you give it to me straight here?” she snapped, her voice breaking with emotion. “I know you like dealing out riddles, but I’m not interested in playing this game. What are you _talking_ about?”

Setsuna chuckled, the sound soft, barely audible, and terrifying as all hell. “I’ve decided that the best way to proceed is to give you a choice, Minako-san,” she replied, a concerned glint in her eyes. “The only way to ensure the security of our future is to offer you the opportunity to make a different choice this time, and hope that you choose correctly.”

Minako shook her head, brow furrowed, still infinitely confused, and she opened her mouth to ask her what the hell that meant when there was suddenly a flash of light as Setsuna transformed into the Senshi of Pluto. 

She didn’t have time to react, her mind still reeling, when the proud, powerful Senshi in the black fuku gave her one last steady look before her eyes fluttered shut. With a loud, jarring smash of her staff against the trailer floor, she let loose a wave of energy that could only be wielded by the Senshi of Time. It shuttered beneath the power of the impact. Her cosmetics, accessories, and her mirror rustled as a light erupted from the end of her staff. 

She barely had time to shield her eyes, lips parted in a soundless scream when she felt a nauseating pull in her navel, and everything went black.

oOo


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Minako Aino had experienced her fair share of hangovers. She was in the entertainment industry, after all. She’d been known to indulge in a little too much to drink every now and then. Usually, she was pretty good with the headache that came with overindulging, and typically, she forced herself to wake up, shower, pop an Advil, and she was good to go about her day. _This_ was a whole new level of hangover, though, and for a moment, Minako was sure that she was _freaking_ dying. 

The moment she dared to open her eyes, she clenched them shut again with a groan of agony as she pressed the heels of her palms into her throbbing temples, the tips of her slender fingers weaving through her hair. 

It took a second before she remembered that she was currently curled up in the fetal position, whereabouts unknown, practically _dying_ from the piercing pain ripping up her brain, because of _Pluto_. The goddamned Senshi of Time had magicked her somewhere with her scary black eyes, a stupid riddle, and apparently a death-wielding headache of pure agony. 

What. The. _Fuck_. Pluto!

Surprisingly, the ringing in her ears and the throbbing at the base of her skull faded pretty quickly, and Minako waited several minutes before she felt it was safe enough to take a peek at her surroundings. 

Just because she was feeling a little bit extra, a tiny bit petulant, and because the anticipation was building alarmingly fast in her chest, Minako only slit her eyes open a fraction. While she didn’t _think_ that the Senshi of time had magically transported her into a squirming pit of snakes, or into the rocky, barren landscape of a foreign planet, she _was_ pretty pissed off at the moment. And she was currently going with the anger-fueled theory that the stupid Senshi was capable of _anything._

Instead of all that, though, Minako was blinded by a stark, bright canvas of white. All pretenses of pretending that she could merely will this away if she didn’t open her eyes fully dissipated with her curiosity. Her eyes flew open, and she gasped, bolting upright in the middle of a huge bed. 

Heart pounding in her chest, headache all but forgotten, her startled blue eyes darted around the room. She took in the sheer elegance of staggeringly high marble pillars curved into vaulted ceilings, and golden etched designs painstakingly hand-painted into reflective, limestone walls. 

The furniture was unlike anything she’d ever remembered seeing, a vanity that appeared to be carved from ivory, bed posts that twisted and curved upwards, holding up layers of gossamer, sheer tulle that draped across the ceiling and rippled in waves to the floor. Delicate rose-shaped crystal fastenings fixed along the walls, flickering candles that lit up the room embedded inside them. 

She was in awe, stunned, and was still scanning her surroundings as she shuffled forward in the bed, clothed in gold-colored silk, as she swung her legs over the side, sliding bare feet along ethereal, unnatural, stone floors. 

“What the hell?” 

Her voice echoed against the walls, and it startled her enough that she flew forward in a frenzy, unusually clumsy, as her silky nightgown twisted around her ankles. She stumbled forward, catching herself against the vanity. 

Her eyes widened a fraction, alarmed when her gaze fell onto an opened leather-bound book on the vanity table surface, ink-blotted, intricate cursive handwriting etched into the thick, hide-like parchment. What was even _more_ disconcerting was that she vaguely recognized the language that it was written in. It was like a dim, wisp of a memory that was hazy at best, but she was ninety-five percent sure that it was written in Venusian.

Which, of course, was a language that was utterly forgotten, and according to anyone on modern-day Earth, completely _nonexistent_. 

So why the hell was there a book that looked crisp and new, just sitting there written in Venusian? 

The realization made her heart sink, and her throat constricted with horror. Pluto had sent her back in time to the Silver Millenium. She slammed her fist against the super-hard surface of the table with a harshly muttered curse, rustling the thick pages. _Pluto had sent her back in time to the freakin’ Silver Millennium._

Spinning around, wobbling unsteadily, Minako flew towards the other end of the room, heart palpitating a million miles per minute as she frantically searched for something, _anything_ reflective that she could look into. It wasn’t long before she found a full-length mirror, etched in gold painted crystal, fixed into the wall. 

She froze, eyes wide and terrified as she took in her appearance. Holy freaking crap. She was Aphrodite, Princess of Venus, Guardian to Princess Serenity _once again._ What the hell had Pluto hoped to gain by sending her back _here?_

“Okay, Minako,” she muttered out loud, pinching the bridge of her nose. “ _Think,_ girl. You’ve got this. There is nothing that you can’t figure out. Pluto obviously sucks _hard,_ but she wants you to do something.” 

She lifted her gaze, grimacing at her reflection in the mirror. She still looked like herself, except, you know, _paler._ Her hair was just as glossy and just as lustrous as it tumbled over her shoulders. This was going to be a pain and an unnecessarily difficult task. She could already feel it. 

“What’s the freaking deal, Pluto?” she snapped, stomping her foot. “How about using words that make sense before sending a girl back in _time_ ? Why am I surrounded by people who _suck_ at communication?” 

She was still lamenting her annoyance at being trapped in the past, where her memories were hazy _at best_ when there was a loud banging noise. The double-set doors that led into her room flew open and smashed against the wall. 

She was frozen, eyes wide like a blue-eyed doe caught in the headlights of an oncoming car as the passion-fueled fury that belonged to Sailor Mars swept into the room. 

Her purple irises flashed with anger as they swept over the bed, narrowing as they finally landed on her. “ _Aphrodite,”_ she hissed, and it didn’t matter that they were in the past. It mirrored Rei exactly. “What are you doing? Why aren’t you dressed?”

Minako winced, deciding to shrug with an apologetic smile. “Would you believe me if I told you it was a late night?” 

Mars rolled her eyes, propping her clenched fists onto jutted hips. “No, I _wouldn’t,”_ she snapped, trudging angrily into the room, her steps filled with purpose. “Because if you _were_ up late _,_ then you would know that Serenity has slipped out of her chamber undetected, _once again.”_

Minako could only blink, waiting with bated breath, entirely entranced by past-Rei, who was just as freaking awesome as she was in the future. “Um, I did _not_ know that.”

Mars sighed deeply, shoulders slumping with resignation as she lifted her gaze to meet hers. The despair and worry laced into her expression took Minako’s breath away. 

“What are we going to do, Aphrodite?” she whispered miserably, hands lifted in silent supplication. “We can’t keep covering for her, and we both know this _affair,_ or _whatever_ it is, is only going to break her heart.” 

Minako swallowed because she knew that it would do a whole lot more than break her heart. It was going to topple all Lunarian civilization as they knew it. The first time she’d lived through the Silver Millenium, she and the other Senshi had caved to Serenity’s heartfelt pleas. It had taken them a while to jump on board, but they’d never been able to deny her anything, and eventually, they’d given in, unwittingly leading her to her demise by enabling her romance with the Prince of Earth. 

At first, she’d harbored a lot of anger and resentment towards Mamoru in their next life because of it. The raw intensity of their deaths was unbearable, especially paired with the grief and sense of loss when she’d realized that she’d not only lost Serenity but Kunzite as well. 

As usual, the thought of Kunzite was painful, and out of habit, Minako pushed it aside as she focused on Mars. “Don’t worry,” she reassured, her expression edged with resolve. “I’ll take care of this.” 

Mars nodded, her eyes filled with resignation as Venus stepped towards the vanity that held the Venusian script and a vaguely familiar, pen-sized scepter with the Venus symbol etched in gold on the tip. 

Once she’d transformed into Serenity’s guardian, Senshi of love, and leader of the others, she only briefly noted that her hair was loose, missing her signature red-bow. The one that she’d donned that first time when Higashi had told her she’d look better wearing it. Higashi-san had turned out to be an evil member of the dark agency, Sailor V’s first enemy, but it had marked the beginning of something _important_ to her. 

She felt strangely bare without it as she cast Rei, or Athena in this life, a reassuring smile, and swept from the room into the brightly lit hallways of the palace of the Moon Kingdom. 

She was absolutely going to take care of this by proving to Pluto that she had no problem making the right choice again. Serenity and Endymion were _meant_ to be together. They were meant to suffer in this life so they could thrive in the next one. 

Pluto was _ridiculous_. This was easy peasy, and she was going to prove it. 

oOo

It was surprising how easily she managed to navigate through the halls of a castle that she'd not seen for thousands of years. It was like a strange out of body experience, nostalgia hitting her full force as her orange heels clicked methodically across pristine, marble floors. 

It was strange to see the vaguely familiar faces of Lunarians that nodded with deference and respect as they passed her in the halls. It was almost overwhelming in a way that threatened to send her spiraling into a crazed bout of hysteria. 

Minako straightened her spine, lengthened her stride, and lifted her chin with a defiant look on her face. She was _Minako Aino_ , and while she fully intended to have _words_ with Pluto when she made it back home, there was no way that she was going to let a little bit of time traveling and a tinge of nostalgia break her brain. 

She flicked her hair over her shoulder with a confident swagger. Not only was she going to pass this little test of _choices_ with flying color, but she was also going to do it in _style_. 

She wasn't sure how she knew exactly where it was that she needed to be. There was no denying that she was no longer familiar with the palace’s layout, but it didn't take long before she halted in front of two large doors. Peering up, she inspected them, carved in white marble, the moon crescent symbol etched into them with delicate precision, the doors rivaled anything that she'd seen in modern-day Tokyo. 

Exhaling deeply in anticipation, Minako settled herself beside those doors, leaning casually against a marbled pillar, arms crossed, as she hunkered down to wait. Flashes of the past popped up in her head every so often when she least expected it. While most of them consisted of Serenity, the horrific battle against Beryl, and then, sometimes, Kunzite's haunting blue eyes, she occasionally remembered small facts of daily life. The way that they used to travel to Earth, for example, was one that stood out clearly. 

It was mostly scientific in nature. Though she couldn't explain the semantics of it if her life depended on it, she remembered that it had something to do with energy manipulation, the power of Senshi blood, all channeled into specific chambers that allowed for teleportation. 

Sometimes Minako wondered what life would be like in the modern-day world if the technological advances of the past hadn't been lost when the Silver Millenium and the Terrans fell so long ago. Either way, she knew that these doors led to the only teleportation chamber located on the moon. 

Her timing must have been perfect because way more quickly than she'd anticipated, there was a blinding flash that crept out from beneath it. Illuminating the hallway momentarily like the amped-up flash from the camera's that Minako was now a pro at enduring. 

It was odd, but her heart rate picked up a beat, and she wondered why she was suddenly feeling nervous. _This was easy._ All she had to do was jump on board the Endymion-and-Serenity-together-forever bandwagon, way sooner than she had the first time she'd done this, and _zap!_ Pluto would bring her home. Probably all guilty and stuff for even doubting her in the first place. 

When the doors slowly crept open, leaving only a fraction of space that was just enough for a tiny slip of a princess to sneak past, Minako couldn't help but smile. She'd forgotten those early days. The ones with the Princess that had always been the epitome of poised perfection. The Princess that always obeyed as she carefully waded through the politics foisted on tiny little shoulders with a careful grace pressed into her from the moment that she'd taken her very first steps. 

Minako recalled that she'd been the oldest Senshi, which was more than likely why she'd been given the title of leader in the first place. She'd had those same inclinations impressed into her when she'd been called upon, pulled from her home, and told that she was now in charge of this little precarious toddler's life _forever._

She'd been just a young child herself, and at first, she'd hated that her life was going to be a relentless duty to this little Moon princess that had ripped her from her home and everything that she'd ever known. It was amazing how quickly that resentment had disappeared, like a wisp of smoke as she'd come to truly, one hundred percent, adore little Serenity and her big blue eyes that held all of the purity she wanted to see reflected in this world. 

It had been challenging to see all of her natural personality traits, her curiosity, impulsive nature, and her sincere love and enthusiasm for life forcibly suppressed as she blossomed into the Princess. It changed, though, when Serenity had dared to fall in love with the Prince of Earth. Endymion didn't stand a chance, either. He'd fallen in love with her as profoundly as Venus had.

It was why Venus had eventually given in to Serenity the first time, regardless of the consequences. It was why Minako's eyes momentarily glistened with tears when Serenity slunk into the hallway, her white silk gown rumpled, her hair completely awry, and her lips so clearly bearing the I've-just-been-kissed-senseless look. 

Minako's heart skipped a beat, and she blinked, suppressing a chuckle. _Oh, yeah_. This was definitely a morning-after walk of shame if she'd ever seen one. Except that Serenity had no reason in the world to be ashamed, and she was going to rectify that this very instant. 

Sobering her expression, Minako pushed away from the pillar and loudly cleared her throat. Serenity gasped, startled, spinning around in shock. The expression on her face was definitely the look of a girl that was totally just busted sneaking home after curfew. 

After a moment, Serenity sighed, shoulders slumping miserably. "Aphrodite, you- you _startled_ me," she stammered, wringing her hands in a way that Minako had seen Usagi do several times when she'd been given the results of a failed test or called out for totally stealing the last castella cake that they were all supposed to share. "Have you been standing there long?" 

Minako arched a golden brow, tilting her head to the side with a smirk. "You mean, have I been standing here long enough to see you sneaking back home from Earth like you just got back from maxing out your credit card at Chanel?" 

Serenity blinked, brows creasing in confusion. "Wh- _what_?" 

Minako shook her head, flicking her wrist dismissively. "I mean, I haven't been here long, but _yes._ You're _totally_ busted."

Serenity winced, sighing miserably. "I'm not certain what you mean by _busted,_ " she replied guiltily. "And I _know_ what you're going to say. I'm sorry. I truly don't want to disappoint you, and I've honestly tried to stay away, Aphrodite." Her eyes, when they met Minako's, were filled with anguish. "I _know_ that he's going to marry someone else eventually, and I'll just be a memory, but I fear that I'm in love with him. Please, I just need a little more time— I want— If I could—" 

Minako swallowed, her expression softening because _this—_ the anguish and uncertainty— she remembered _this_ clearly. "Hey," she began, forcing a bright smile on her lips as she bounced forward and hooked her arm through Serenity's. "Take all the time you need, girl. Love is complicated."

Serenity inhaled sharply, pink lips parting in surprise, eyes widening a fraction. "I— I don't understand," she rasped. "Yesterday you were quite vehement when you were explicitly forbidding me to—"

Minako huffed, waving her hand to interrupt her. "Vehemence, shmemence," she exclaimed, winking as she craned her neck to the side, leaning forward, leveling a stunned Serenity with a reassuring look. "Clearly you've come home from a pretty fantastic makeout sesh. Who am I to deny a girl that?" 

Her blonde brows furrowed even further, shoulders tense, as Serenity pulled away from Minako in confusion. " _Make out sesh?_ What are you talking about?" 

Minako inwardly winced, gnawing at her bottom lip. _Right._ So, while she definitely had access to past-life memories, she couldn't quite remember the way that she used to converse with the others. Weirdly, she started picturing Shakespeare, and other weird English poets that she'd only really paid any attention to because she'd been fascinated by the puffy sleeves and the accordion-like collared shirts that were the height of fashion back in the day. 

With a nervous giggle, Minako backpedaled. "Uh, yeah. I _meant_ to say, he doth kisseth you aloteth?" 

Serenity's eyes widened with alarm. "Are you ill? Perhaps we should go and see Ophelia—"

Minako exhaled, frustrated, cheeks flushed as she shook her head, interrupting her once again. "No, no," she blurted, completely flustered. "What I really mean to say is that I've recently re-evaluated my thoughts in regards to your relationship with Ma— Prince Endymion." 

Serenity froze, and the hopeful expression on her face broke Minako's heart. "You have?" she whispered. "Truly?"

Minako's breath hitched, her throat constricting with emotion because, damn. She loved Serenity like she loved Usagi, and though they were technically the same person, it caught her off guard the way every molecule in her body wholeheartedly wanted just to protect and shield her friend — _her sister—_ from what was going to happen to her as a result of this. 

It was the first time her smile and her dismissive attitude faltered, and she swallowed as she forced a nod. "Truly, Serenity," she rasped, trying to regain control of her emotions. "Just, _please_ , be careful." 

The warning was pointless. Minako knew how this was going to end. Which was why it hurt, _like really bad_ , when Serenity's eyes lit up, and her eyes welled with tears as she threw her arms around her waist with a whispered exclamation of gratitude. 

Swallowing, she did what Minako Aino _always_ did. She shrugged it off with a brilliant smile, winking, happily giggling as she hooked her arm through the Princess’, and coyly asked her for details. 

It was only as she watched Serenity adoringly gush about the Prince and the planet that she loved that Minako felt that first twinge of unease in her chest. So, _okay._ Maybe Pluto wasn't _totally_ ridiculous, and perhaps this wasn't going to be _as_ easy peasy as she'd initially surmised.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am posting two chapters today as the other one is a shorter transition chapter.   
> Thanks to My artist, Iamcharlotte88, and beautiful beta NinjetteTwitch!

**Chapter 2**

After spending hours with Serenity, gushing late into the afternoon about the prince that she loved, Minako couldn’t help the dread that was steadily building in the pit of her stomach. This  _ should _ have been  _ easy _ . She’d been fully prepared to do this quickly, with her usual flourish, effectively proving Pluto wrong. 

She’d underestimated how difficult it was going to be, though, to knowingly lead the one person in this universe that she loved above all else to be slaughtered by the darkness, the first shadow of chaos that they wouldn’t defeat until centuries later. 

It was one thing to have lived through the tragedy of the Silver Millenium without knowledge of its outcome. It was a whole different matter to do it all over again, painfully recalling the decisions they’d made that would lead to the ultimate downfall of  _ everything _ . 

She’d managed to avoid the other Senshi most of the day, retreating into the luxurious chamber that was hers just as the Lunar cycle shifted into night. Taking a deep breath to steady the thrum of her nerves, she slowly slipped further into the dimly lit interior of her room, feeling oddly deflated after just one day of traipsing through time. 

Moving slowly towards the mirror, her gaze fixed on her own horrified expression in the reflective surface, she couldn’t help but shake her head. Why had Pluto even risked sending her here, knowing that she could change everything? 

It was with a heavy heart, the burden of knowledge weighing on her shoulders, that she dropped her henshin. The swirling orange ribbons that belonged to Sailor Venus faded from the curves of her body just before she wearily slipped under the silk-spun covers into bed. 

She spent a restless night tossing, turning, warring inwardly with her decision, though, really, there was still only the one choice. The same one she’d made all those centuries ago when she’d allowed Serenity to follow her heart, despite her trepidations. 

The next morning when she woke, she decided to do things the Aino Minako way. She was a freaking superstar, after all, and she bounced out of her bed with renewed determination and a newly invigorated optimism to see this through. This was the right thing to do, and despite what Pluto thought about her, she was going to make the same decision she had before.

Her smile came easier, and the bounce in her step was peppier as she transformed into the lethally fierce Senshi, without her red bow, and strode from her chamber in search of the others. This was going to be hard; she needed to get this done as quickly as possible so she could go home and put this whole thing behind her. The fastest way to do that was to get the other Senshi on board right away rather than wasting months fighting what was inevitable. 

She wasn’t a hundred percent sure where she was in the timeline, her memories of the Silver Millennium still hazy. Still, she did remember the exact moment when everything had begun to spiral downhill. The Terrans had always been governed by a patriarchal society; their sons, princes, and Kings holding higher positions of power over their women. To Aphrodite, and the other Senshi, who were revered, their sovereign planets all willingly led by a reigning Queen, the Terrans’ way of life seemed foreign. 

The contention between the Terran Kings and the Lunarian Queen had been long-standing, and politically, the Terran’s had always spurned any kind of offer for an alliance with the Moon Kingdom, their Kings refusing to follow a woman. 

The year that the empire toppled, and Metalia successfully infiltrated the minds of Endymion’s people, was the first time in a decade that an invitation to attend the Terrans week-long annual summit was extended to the Lunarians. The sole purpose of the summit was so that the Terrans could forge and renew political alliances. Of course, the Lunarians had been invited because Endymion was close to ascending to the throne, and by this time, he’d already fallen in love with Serenity. 

Minako frowned as she recalled that Mamoru’s past counterpart had been reckless, spoiled, entitled in a way that the future version of himself had never been.

The moment when Prince Endymion made the unprecedented attempt to forge an alliance with the Lunar Kingdom at the summit, the Terrans had been outraged. Though Minako clearly recalled the catalyst event. It was only when Endymion, the besotted idiot, announced at the final gathering, a traditional masquerade, that he was going to marry Serenity rather than the woman his father had chosen for him, Lady Beryl, that everything fell apart. 

This was the moment that swayed everyone in Beryl’s favor, and despite her and Kunzite’s best efforts, their royal charges had fallen to their deaths under the same sword. 

Minako’s step faltered for a moment when the memory of her last tragic, heart-wrenching moment with Kunzite popped into her head unbidden, and she stopped, pausing in the middle of the brightly lit hall. 

She swallowed, her gloved hand instinctively grasping at the bow tied neatly at her chest, slender fingers curling into the fabric as if she could stop the painful way her heart constricted. 

She’d always done her very best to suppress her memories of Kunzite, and she’d always been relatively successful. Even in those early days when she’d recognized him from behind the dull haze of her recovered memories when he’d become Beryl’s puppet in their second life before ultimately falling again. 

The reason that she chose not to dwell on her Silver-haired soulmate was that it didn’t matter how much she’d loved him, and,  _ oh yes _ , she’d loved Kunzite with every bit of her heart and soul. It didn’t matter because she loved Serenity more. Just as he’d loved Endymion more. In the end, though it had ripped her heart from her chest, they’d both chosen duty over their love. So, Minako forced herself to suppress every painful memory of him away. 

But now that she was back in the Silver Millenium — _ thanks a lot, Pluto _ — her memories of the events that led to their tragic ends were becoming clearer. As was the way she felt about the hardened General that stole her heart just as Serenity had stolen from the protection of the Lunar Kingdom and into Endymion’s arms. 

Minako’s breath hitched, and she stepped back, pressing her spine against the cool marble pillars that lined the halls as she tried to reign in the assault of emotions that coursed through her.  _ Damn _ . It hadn’t even occurred to her, until this very moment, that Kunzite was here, alive and well. 

The realization burned like acid in her chest as the longing to see him just one more time momentarily overwhelmed her. With another shaky breath, she straightened her shoulders, flicking blonde hair over them as she pressed those emotions aside. 

She had to look at this like one of the simulations she’d created with Artemis in the Sailor V consoles that they’d used to help train the girls so long ago. This was all some elaborate level that she was determined to beat. It was easy. Her eyes hardened, and she tilted her chin up defiantly.  _ It had to be. _

“There you are!” 

Minako’s head snapped up as the familiar lilting tone of Makoto’s voice broke through her warring inner-thoughts. Juno, Princess of Jupiter, was just as fierce in this life as she was in their new one. Though there was a harsher edge in her gaze and a more confident cut in her smirk.

She arched chestnut eyebrows, crossing her arms expectantly. “Are you all right?” she asked, concern laced in her tone. “Everyone is waiting for you in the dining hall for breakfast.” 

The smile she’d spent years perfecting curled onto her lips automatically, and Minako took a confident step forward. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she reassured. “Totally slept in. My bad.” 

Juno frowned, the corners of her lips dipping downward with worry. “Your bad what?” she asked. “Are you sure you’re feeling well? It’s not like you to sleep past sunrise.” 

Minako giggled nervously, waving her hand dismissively as she swiveled around to stride in the direction where she sort of remembered the dining hall being located. “Right, I’m a morning person,” she murmured guiltily. “Duly noted.”

Juno fell into step beside her, expression suspicious, though Minako was grateful that she chose not to comment on the fact that she was acting strangely. Instead, Jupiter’s expression turned thoughtful, oddly strained as she lengthened her strides, and Minako found that she needed to pick up the pace to catch up.

“Did you talk some sense into Serenity?” Juno asked, her tone brusque, but layered with concern. “Athena caught her sneaking out again. I’m not sure what’s gotten into her all of a sudden, but what she’s doing is dangerous. We have to stop this before it’s too late.” 

Minako bit her lower lip, clearing her throat as she averted her gaze. “I’m afraid that it’s already too late,” she began, knowing full well that, actually, it wasn’t. Not until after the masquerade. “She loves him.” 

Juno halted in her tracks, stunned and angry, as she caught Minako by the elbow, causing her to yelp as she stumbled to a stop beside her. “ _ Aphrodite _ ,” Juno hissed. “That’s not funny.” 

Minako swallowed, feeling suddenly overwhelmed as she lifted her eyes to meet hers. “I know,” she rasped. “I wasn’t joking.” 

It hurt to see the array of emotions that flitted across the fierce Senshi of Jupiter’s face as her words registered. It was when she settled on despair, her shoulders slumping helplessly just as Rei’s had the day before that Minako had to suppress the urge to flinch. 

Juno shook her head, releasing Minako’s arm as she exhaled slowly. “You’re certain?” she whispered, eyes wide, face pale. Minako nodded, and Juno cursed under her breath. “What the hell are we going to do?” 

Before she could respond, large double-wide, ivory-colored doors carved with the Lunarians signature moon crescent insignia slid open. Minako stiffened, inhaling sharply as she craned her neck to the side, and her startled gaze fell onto the wide, natural lapis blue eyes that belonged to Silver Millenium’s Senshi of Mercury. 

Mercury blinked, confused, before hurriedly waving them in. “What are you doing?” the blunette, or Ophelia, whispered sharply. Her cheeks tinged that pink, embarrassed color whenever she was forced to use that authoritative tone. “Everyone is waiting for you. Get in here!” 

Juno grimaced, nodding contritely before sweeping forward with purpose to slip past Ami. Minako, on the other hand, was still standing rooted to the spot, eyes huge, probably bulging like the clueless, dumb blonde she’d so often been accused of being in modern-day Tokyo.

Ophelia arched a blue-tinged eyebrow, the question flashing in her eyes before Minako finally snapped out of her daze, flashed the Senshi of Intelligence a winning smile and practically skipped into the dining room with a confidence that she wasn’t necessarily feeling. 

She was good at faking it, though. She always had been. So when she stepped into the magnificent opulence of a brightly-lit dining hall that she totally didn’t remember, she was pretty sure she’d kept the awe and wonder from seeping into her expression.

Her Majesty, Queen Serenity, head of the Silver Millennium alliance, was a sight to behold. Minako had forgotten where her daughter had inherited that ethereal, otherworldly beauty. She was reminded of it now as her gaze fell onto the silver-haired Queen that sat, emanating all the poise and elegance relegated by her station, at the head of a long dining table that sported a swirling quartz top that would have cost a small fortune in her current life. 

To her right sat the more subdued, golden-haired Serenity. Her gaze was trained on her plate, her movements small and practiced as she poked at the pastry confection on her plate. Not at all like the boisterous way Usagi would have inhaled her meal. 

The Queen lifted her gaze, soft-violet irises seemingly piercing into Minako’s soul as a small, welcoming smile graced her lips. “Sailor Venus,” she greeted in that strong, yet totally soft tone that inwardly made Minako shiver. “I’m glad that you’ve joined us. Please, sit.” 

Minako swallowed nervously because the Queen hadn’t even said it with a reprimand in her tone. It was as if she was genuinely pleased by her presence, and Minako made a mental note to get her shit together and never be late again as the tension lifted from the room. The other Senshi took ivory-backed seats in respective positions around Serenity. 

_ This _ —the semantics of royal etiquette— totally escaped Minako, and the blonde tried not let her uncertainty show as she swept forward and lowered herself into a seat directly across from Serenity, all the while muttering a prayer in her head that she was not screwing this up by sitting in the wrong place. 

Luckily, it didn’t seem to matter, and Serenity smiled shyly before turning back to her food. Minako returned her smile, though her heart flipped in her chest because Usagi’s past counterpart was so inhibited, so reserved compared to what she would be in her next life. What she would be granted as a typical teenage girl in modern-day Tokyo. Minako lifted her fork, visions of Sailor Moon flashing through her mind. Okay, so, maybe not  _ that _ typical. 

It was the Queen who broke the silence with the soft, dulcet sound of her clearing her throat. “Good morning, girls,” she began brightly before she turned those haunting, wisdom-filled eyes onto Minako. “Sailor Venus, I’m wondering if you were successful in contacting the head of the Venusian council in regards to their request for additional representation in the planetary conclave?”

Minako froze, lips popping open, slack-jawed, fork loosely poised between gloved fingers. The council of  _ what _ for the  _ what _ now? She tried to magically bring forth the past memories from the vast void of her mind to explain whatever the hell that meant, but came up completely short. She was totally screwed. 

The Queen arched an eyebrow expectantly, and Minako snapped her mouth shut and cleared her throat. She could do this. Fake it till you make it, right? 

With a confident smile, a flick of blonde hair over her shoulder, she lowered her fork and leaned forward. “I haven’t been able to contact them yet.” 

That would have probably been enough given the fact that the Queen was already mid-nod, but there was clearly something seriously wrong with her. Maybe it was because her brain was addled from time travel, perhaps it was because she apparently just liked to hear herself talk, whatever it was,  _ Minako kept going _ . 

“Cause, you know us Venusians,” she quipped with another hair toss. “Sometimes we're totally flighty. Plus, I’m not really on familiar terms with the head of the Venusian council.” 

She knew she’d messed up when the Senshi frowned, and Serenity blinked her long, pretty eyelashes, tilting her head to the side in confusion. The Queen, on the other hand, well,  _ her _ expression was totally unreadable. 

Minako suppressed a grimace when the Queen steadily met her gaze, the only indication that she was confused, just the slightest quirk of her eyebrow. “Perhaps I misunderstood,” she began slowly. “Has your mother stepped down from her position as head of the council in the last fortnight?” 

To say that Minako paled was a severe understatement. The blood in her face literally evaporated. Okay, well, maybe not  _ literally _ . But it may as well have because her stomach churned, and she was starting to feel a little bit queasy. 

Not for the first time since dropping into her past, she inwardly cursed Pluto. If she was going to dump her, unprepared, into the middle of a past life that happened like a  _ kazillion _ years ago, the very least she could have done was make sure her memories were wholly intact. Like,  _ jeez _ . She couldn’t even remember her mother’s name, let alone that she’d been the head of the Venusian Council! 

“Er, no,” Minako ended up stammering, trying super hard not to make this worse. “She hasn’t, I don’t think. What I meant was that, um...” 

It was Serenity that burst into a loud-for-a-princess giggle that saved her from making a further fool of herself. All eyes turned onto the red-faced princess, who immediately quieted, though there was still the hint of a smile on her lips.

Her expression was apologetic when she turned towards her mother. “I think Aphrodite is feeling a little under the weather, mother,” Serenity offered as an explanation. 

“Yes, your Majesty,” Athena chimed in with a sharp, barely noticeable glare in her direction. “We’ve contacted the Venusians, and they will be sending an emissary to discuss it further.” 

It was difficult not to let a sigh of utter relief spill from her lips as the Queen nodded, accepting their explanation. “Very well,” she replied, appeased. “I do have some more news to share with all of you. It seems that Prince Endymion of the Terrans has extended an invitation to the Lunarians for their annual summit.” 

The others gasped, stunned, though Minako noted the way Serenity lowered her gaze, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Minako inwardly winced because the Queen’s gaze was fixed firmly on her daughter as she continued.

“While not unprecedented, this is definitely an odd turn of events. While I would like nothing more than to formally bring the Terrans under the protection of the Silver Millennium alliance, given the political climate, and the Terran King’s general hostility, I did not foresee this happening for decades, at least.” 

Athena cast a furtive, stone-faced look towards Serenity, and Juno exchanged a worried glance with Ophelia. It was evident that the Queen was aware that something clandestine was happening, though Minako wasn’t entirely clear if she knew exactly what it was. She couldn’t recall this moment in her hazy past memories, either. 

“Furthermore,” the Queen continued, gaze steadily observing her daughter. “Prince Endymion has requested that my daughter be sent as a delegate.” 

Serenity stiffened, gnawing on the corner of her lip as she slowly lifted her chin, expressive blue eyes so wide and hopeful it broke Minako’s heart. “Oh?” she whispered, visibly swallowing. “That  _ is _ strange.” 

The silence that followed Serenity’s strained response was deafening, filled with tension so thick Minako could probably pick up the gleaming carving knife set by her plate and saw through it. 

The Queen had apparently gleaned all of the information that she’d needed from that interaction, and she sighed, shoulders slumping ever so slightly as she nodded. “You will not be going to the summit, Serenity.” 

Serenity tensed, eyes flashing with disappointment. “But, Mother!” she choked, heart in her throat and written so clearly in the sapphire blue set of her eyes. “You can’t refuse him! Isn’t this what you wanted? A political alliance with the Terrans would be beneficial. We could—”

The Queens curt and sharply uttered tone promptly interrupted Serenity’s tirade. “I did not say that we would not be sending a delegate, Serenity. I simply said that it would not be  _ you _ .” 

When the Queen spoke like that, there was no way anyone would dare to argue. Minako’s heart went out to Serenity, whose lower lip trembled ever-so-slightly, as she whipped her head down, fighting back angry tears. 

The Queen wasn’t finished, though, and Minako held her breath, stunned when she spoke next. “Going forward, all teleportation initiated by Lunarians to travel to the Terrans planet has been ceased.” Her hardened, slightly regretful violet irises met Minako’s as Serenity slumped miserably in her seat. “I am not able to cease Venusian teleportation as there is an essential Terran connection in place with your planet. I expect, as leader of the Senshi and guardian of my daughter, that you will ensure that this order is heeded.” 

Minako had wisely learned her lesson from her earlier blunder, and she swallowed, nodding submissively. “Of course, your Majesty.”

The Queen was appeased, turning back to her breakfast as the room’s atmosphere was perceptibly more oppressive than it had been when she’d entered. 

Serenity had definitely gone to the summit the first time she’d lived through this star-crossed lover tragedy. Minako could not, for the life of her, remember how the hell that had happened. 

Glancing up at Serenity one more time as she fiddled with some blue-colored fruit that looked like a lotus flower, she knew that she needed to figure out what she’d done the first time. Serenity’s happiness in their next life depended on it. 

oOo

It took Serenity exactly twenty minutes to find Minako after that atrociously awkward and painful to watch breakfast with the others. Or at least she  _ assumed _ it was twenty minutes. There wasn’t a clock anywhere that she could see. How the hell did anyone know what time it was? 

Either way, when given the chance, she’d escaped the confines of that room quicker than a flash of… something? Thunder, maybe? She shrugged, the idiom slipping her mind, as she put some significant distance between her, the dining hall, and the Senshi whose eyes trailed after her suspiciously. 

She didn’t have much time to regroup, or collect her thoughts, before a wide-eyed, brokenhearted,  _ super distressed _ Serenity found her just as she slipped outside onto a pretty marble terrace to sulkily peer up at Earth. Her goal was to quietly curse it’s prince that was going to lead her best friend,  _ her princess,  _ to a tragic end. One that she was going to have to let happen. 

Minako already knew what Serenity was going to ask her as they stood alone outside. The windless, scentless atmosphere of the moon sending goosebumps rolling down her spine. She didn’t know if it was because, subconsciously, she remembered this happening or if it was because, really, there was no other choice. Either way, she was not surprised by Serenity’s following plea of desperation. 

“Aphrodite,” she pleaded, her tone breaking with emotion. “Please help me. I would never ask this of you, normally.  _ I swear.  _ It’s just that you did say that you’d changed your mind, and I have to see him again, Aphrodite. I just— He’s waiting for me to meet him  _ right now _ , and I can’t let him down. I just— I—” 

She couldn’t finish her sentence, tears welling in her eyes as she sniffled in a strangely dainty manner that made Minako wish she could just be herself like Usagi was. There was a flash of a memory, suddenly, maybe summoned by Minako’s thoughts. It was a vision of Serenity snorting with laughter, great big gales of unladylike laughter as she collapsed into Endymion’s arms as he peered down at her with a smitten, totally lovestruck expression. Serenity had been freer, more like Usagi, whenever she’d been with Endymion. 

It strengthened her resolve even further, and Minako tutted, leaning forward to wipe a tear from Serenity’s cheek. “Come on, girl,” she reassured. “Stop crying. Of course I’m going to help you. I’m  _ Aphrodite,  _ Senshi of Love. I’ll get you to your Prince.”

Serenity crumpled in her arms, sobbing in earnest, trembling in that grateful, heart wrenching way that made Minako’s throat constrict with emotion. “ _ Thank you _ ,” she choked, trembling slender fingers clutching at the front of her fuku. “I’m so grateful that you’ve changed your mind. You can’t have any idea what this means to me.”

Minako swallowed nervously, blinking back her own tears as she wordlessly returned Serenity’s embrace. She was very sure that she knew exactly what this meant to Serenity, and she hated the painful twinge in her chest that was chipping away at her every time she was forcibly reminded how this was ultimately going to end. 

She took a deep breath, reigning in her emotions. She had to remember that it wasn’t how this life was going to end that mattered, but the next one, and with that practiced smile she’d spent eons perfecting, Minako swirled away from Serenity with a reassuring expression and a quirky jaunt of her hips. 

Serenity was confused for a moment, using the back of her hand to wipe away her tears as she fixed her pretty blue gaze onto her. Minako winked, holding out her hand. “Well?” she quipped brightly. “Shall we get you to Earth for your totally hot date?” 

Serenity frowned, brow creasing worriedly. “Are you sure that you’re feeling we—” 

Minako interrupted her with a huff, rolling her eyes as she leaned over to clasp her arm, tugging her forward. “I’m  _ fine,”  _ she reassured, and Serenity yelped in surprise as she pulled her back over the threshold onto the polished, reflective floors in the castle. “Are you going to ask more questions about how I’m suddenly speaking strangely, or do you want to see Endymion?” 

Serenity’s responding grin, dazzling and hopeful, was all the answer she needed, and Minako nodded, hooking her arm through hers, giggling as they stealthily made their way to the teleportation chamber.

Past Sailor Venus probably would have considered the severe ramifications of directly disobeying the Queen’s orders less than an hour after she’d given them. So, it was a good thing she was not  _ just _ Aphrodite. She was Minako Aino, too, and Minako Aino had no intention of staying here to relive this tragedy longer than she had to. 

oOo

As a Senshi, Minako had teleported hundreds of times. She’d forgotten, though, what it was like to use a teleportation chamber. It was unsettling, and the whirring feeling that churned deep in the pit of her stomach made her dizzy when her glossy orange heels landed a little ungracefully onto a small grassy knoll. 

She sucked in a sharp breath, wincing as she steadied herself against Serenity, who did not seem to be suffering from the same proclivity as her. In fact, the golden-haired princess was practically vibrating with excitement as she swept forward with a bounce in her step. 

Minako yelped as she fell without support, knees buckling as she grasped at the back of Serenity’s ivory-colored cloak to steady herself. 

Serenity stopped, twisting her torso, bending forward quickly to help keep her upright. “Oh!” she gasped, eyes filled with worry. “Is something wrong, Aphrodite?” 

Minako flushed, coughing with embarrassment as she pulled away.  _ Jeez _ . It was like the roles reversed suddenly. Serenity, the picture-perfect version of grace while she possessed all the poise of a stampeding bull in a china shop. Usagi would have been so proud. 

She wasn’t used to feeling utterly disoriented like this, and she flicked her wrist with a reassuring wave, clearing her throat as she proudly straightened the pleated orange skirt of her sailor fuku. “I’m fine,” Minako dismissed, injecting confidence into her tone as she straightened her spine. “Just tripped, that’s all.” 

Serenity nodded slowly, accepting her response though it was clear that she wasn’t entirely convinced as her gaze slid from her to the half-hidden entrance of a garden that Minako instantly remembered  _ very  _ well. 

Minako swallowed, pain and nostalgia slicing through her suddenly, as she noted, for the first time, how different Earth had been back then. Everything felt more  _ vibrant.  _ The color of the sky, the grass, even the warbled stone wall built to wrap around Endymion’s secret garden glistened brightly. 

She took a deep breath, the overwhelming scent of cherry blossoms assaulting her senses, and she couldn’t stop the way her eyelids fluttered shut as it washed over her in waves. 

Tears, unbidden, pricked without warning at the corners of her eyes, and it took everything she had not to stumble back as a whole slew of memories that had once belonged to Aphrodite bombarded her. A collection of images, of conversations, of stolen kisses and whispered promises under cover of darkness that she’d purposely managed to suppress after all of this time. 

She paled, blood draining from her face as her eyes fluttered open in alarm. Serenity had already skipped ahead, unaware of the invasion that had just occurred in Minako’s mind. 

Minako gritted her teeth, blinking back tears as she shook her head with frustration. She watched Serenity extend her slender arm from the confines of her cloak, blonde hair slipping across its silk surface, as she reached into a thicket of branches to pull at a secret latch that Minako  _ now  _ remembered would open a gate.

This was bad.  _ This was really bad. _

It was different living with the half-recalled memories of her previous life in a disconnected state and remembering them as if she was living them all over again. It only  _ just  _ occurred to her that the memories of her life in the Silver Millenium were wholly separate from the life that she was living as Minako Aino— like she’d related to a character in a tragic movie she’d once watched that had made a lasting impression. 

It made sense that she would only remember the more poignant moments, the strong ones seared into everything that she was and  _ had _ been. Like the oath she’d sworn to protect the princess she loved at all costs, Lunar blood spilled on Terran soil, and the battle cries of her sisters that had fought Beryl and Metalia until the bitter end. It’s what drove her to succeed as Sailor V in the future. It was the only thing she’d been allowed to remember clearly. She couldn’t afford to remember everything about this life as if she were living it a second time. 

Minako inhaled sharply, biting the corner of her lower lip. It wasn’t  _ just _ that, either. She couldn’t afford to remember  _ him.  _

“Aphrodite?” 

The soft musical tone of Serenity’s voice tore her from her thoughts, and Minako’s tortured gaze met hers. Serenity straightened her shoulders, alarmed, probably by the expression on her face. 

The concerned princess took a step away from the opened gate towards her. “Goddess, Aphrodite, are you all right?” she asked, tone laced with worry. “It looks as if you’ve seen a ghost.” 

It took a moment for Minako to regain control of her raging emotions, and even when she did, her responding smile was shaky at best. “Fine,” she rasped, shaking her head before clearing her throat. “I’m _ fine. _ Go meet Endymion.” 

Serenity frowned, tilting her head to the side, delicate golden brows furrowed in confusion. “You’re not coming with me?” 

Minako shook her head, chin snapping back and forth with more zeal than she’d intended. “No, I’ll wait for you here,” she replied on a pained exhale of air. “So… so you can have some privacy.” 

It was best if she didn’t go into that garden. Not now, or  _ ever _ again. In fact, she needed to make sure she didn’t revisit Earth until she was escorting Serenity to the summit, and all of this was  _ over _ . It was for the best, it really was. Pluto was  _ wrong _ . She  _ was _ going to make the right decision again. 

Serenity didn’t seem wholly convinced, her gaze darting with concern between Minako and the open gate that led to Endymion. 

The Senshi of Venus smiled, doing her best to convey reassurance as she waved the hesitant princess forward. “ _ Go,”  _ she urged. “He’s waiting for you!” 

Minako’s heart skipped a beat, swelling with love for her charge all over again when Serenity’s eyes lit up in that way that only hers could. As if she was going to light up the world with all of that purity and hope. 

Serenity didn’t need to be prompted a second time before she nodded, her excitement to see Endymion spurring her forward as she twisted on her heel with a swish of delicate silk and princess poise. Her slender form hurriedly disappearing into the foliage and boughed branches of the cherry blossom trees that peeked over the garden wall.

Minako stood utterly still, breath held, eyes still fixed onto the area where Serenity had just disappeared. The fresh, unpolluted breeze picked up a fraction, whipping blonde strands of her hair into her face, and Minako blinked, exhaling a ragged, shaky breath. 

She clenched her hands into fists and twisted around with a determined snap of orange fabric as she strengthened her resolve. This was  _ still  _ easy-peasy. So what if she remembered a little more? Like… like the way Kunzite’s ice blue eyes had melted, smoldering as they trailed over the length of her body. Or the angry, carved curve of his jaw as he’d pressed her into silken sheets, silver hair slipping across the curve of her bare shoulder as he’d lowered his lips onto hers. 

Minako shook her head, breathing deeply, desperate to suppress those images again because, really, it didn’t matter.  _ It didn’t matter.  _

With a sharp, determined nod of her head and a proud tilt of her chin, she strode forward. She was aiming for a small copse of trees where she planned to patiently wait for Serenity to finish her interlude with the prince so that they could retreat to the safety of the palace, and she could regroup. 

The tension eased from her shoulders as she stepped into the shade of a lone cherry blossom tree, and she allowed herself a small sigh of relief. That was a totally solid plan. Things were just a bit raw right at the moment, but surely she would be able to distance herself once again with a little bit of time. 

She was so focused on her thoughts, her gaze absentmindedly fixed onto the cloudless sky that was peeking through the canopy of trees, that she didn’t see it coming. Which was totally freaking stupid because she was the leader of the Senshi, an elite group of warriors with elemental powers  _ for crying out loud. _ Still, she didn’t hear him approach, and by the time she did, it was too late. 

She yelped, lips parting with surprise when an arm coiled around her waist from behind. With all the strength of a steel band, she was flipped around, back pressed against the tree, sandwiched between the rough bark and the broad expanse of a chest that,  _ oh, God,  _ she recognized  _ very  _ well. 

She was trapped, and she instinctively lifted her hands, pressing her palms into his shoulders to push him away. Then she inhaled, and there was another blast of painfully raw memories. Because, Oh, God, Kunzite smelled like metal and lilacs, and it was such a strangely distinctive smell she wondered how she’d ever forgotten it. 

So instead of pushing him away and fleeing like she should have done, she whimpered and would have collapsed like a simpering puddle at his feet if she hadn’t curled her fingers into the white lapels of his knightly attire, holding onto him for dear life. 

She couldn’t breathe, acutely aware of his body pressed intimately against hers as she determinedly fixed her gaze onto the angled dip of his collarbone.  _ She needed to get it together _ . Surely, if she didn’t look up, if she didn’t look into his face…

His fingers were warm, firm but gentle when he lifted his hand to cup her chin, forcibly tilting her face up until she was peering into the depths of blue eyes that she could never forget. They were like steel, flecks of silver glinting in blue irises that pierced into her soul. She could still see those eyes, framed with sweeping silver lashes as they’d haunted her dreams. Now, quite frustratingly, she had all of the memories that accompanied the raw emotion of those beautiful fucking eyes, and it felt like she was drowning. 

His expression was hard, angry almost, a crease that marred his brow as he scowled down at her. “This game that you’re playing is dangerous, El’ Fuella.” Chills rippled down her spine at the low, gruff baritone of his voice as it washed over her like a velvety caress.  _ El’ Fuella.  _ It meant little one in Venusian, and the reminder of a language long forgotten almost brought tears to her eyes. “You aren’t supposed to be here.” 

She swallowed, practically incapable of speech, overwhelmed by all of these emotions, assaulted with the newly recovered memories of her past. She opened her mouth to answer, snapping her lips closed again, struggling to reign everything in. 

When she didn’t respond, he arched a silver brow expectantly, the corner of his mouth quirking up ever so slightly into a smug smirk. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you at a loss for words,” he chuckled, the sound low, rumbling enticingly in his chest against her palms. “What do you have to say for yourself, Senshi?”

She opened her mouth again, mind blank, too overwhelmed to speak. He was here. In her arms, and she couldn’t breathe. 

“ _ Kunzite.”  _

It was all that she could manage. His name rasped out on a strangled breath of air. Her throat constricted with all of the emotion evoked by seeing him again. 

His expression sobered, eyes widening a fraction before they softened in that doting, lovestruck way that only she’d ever had the privilege of earning. “ _ Veck,  _ Aphrodite,” he hissed through gritted teeth, the Elysian curse word sounding more like an endearment as he lowered his head, pressing his cheek against hers, his lips hovering over the shell of her ear. “Don’t look at me like that. This is the right decision, El’ Fuella. You were meant to keep her away.” 

It didn’t matter that she’d had a solid plan, determined to push him away so she could do what she needed to do, then get the hell out of dodge where she was going to strangle Pluto with her bare hands. 

She was so stupid to have thought that she was going to manage this unscathed, and all of her false confidence and bluster flew right out of the goddamned window the moment he’d pulled her back into his arms. 

She snapped out of her daze with a ferocity that surprised even her. Minako Aino wasn’t shy about sex. It wasn’t in her nature to be reserved about something as natural as connecting with someone on a physical level, but that was nothing compared to the sizzling chemistry that burned hotly between her and Kunzite now. 

She was like a woman possessed, slender fingers traveling from the lapels of his snow-white uniform, weaving through the hair at the back of his head, instead. Coiling the silken, silver strands into clenched fists that she forcefully tugged back so that she could see the beautifully angled features of his face. 

Kunzite’s eyebrows raised, surprised, as she propelled herself to the tips of her toes and slanted her lips over his. She wasn’t gentle, attacking his mouth with desperation, releasing all of the passion she’d kept pent up, stored safely in a special box labeled with his name in the depths of her heart that she’d kept more closed off than she’d thought. 

He felt all of that, and the resulting growl against her mouth was almost feral when he matched her passion with his own, nipping at her lower lip, parting them, tongues tangling on a strangled moan. 

This was bliss. This was heaven. This was everything she’d needed to make her feel whole, so she didn’t resist when he leaned down, lips locked, and grasped the back of her thighs. His grip was almost bruising as he hoisted her up against him so that she could quickly wrap her legs around his hips before he roughly slammed her against the tree. 

She would have let him take her. Right then, and right there. Out in the open without care. She  _ was  _ the Senshi of Love after all, but Kunzite had always been more practical than that. 

With a harshly muttered curse, he forcibly tore his lips from hers, panting, his breath ragged and labored as he pulled away from her. She unlocked her ankles, sliding down the length of him, still in a lust-filled stupor when he angrily slammed his fist into the tree beside her head. 

The force of the impact was jarring, and his knuckles were probably bleeding, but Minako didn’t flinch. She wasn’t even remotely afraid of him as she kept her gaze fixed on the strained, pained contours of his face. 

“ _ Veck _ !” he rasped angrily. “What are you doing to me, El’ Fuella? I  _ can’t _ have you, just like Endymion can’t have her.”

He tore away from her, and she stumbled, feeling cold and bereft when the heat of his hardened body suddenly disappeared. 

He stepped back slowly, clearly rattled as he raked his fingers through his hair. “Go home, Venus,” he spat. “We agreed. You can’t bring her back here.” 

Then, just like that, the cold guarded expression that belonged to Endymion’s loyal general fell like a hardened mask onto the features she loved. She couldn’t even manage a word when he cast her one last look, twisted on his heel, and strode away without looking back. 

It took several moments before Minako’s heartbeat resumed its steady rhythm, and it was only when she blinked, vision obscured, that she realized she was crying. 

With a whimpered sob, she collapsed onto the ground at the base of the tree, inwardly despairing because she  _ finally  _ understood. 

Pluto wasn’t making her choose between letting Serenity and Endymion perish, or keeping them apart so that they could live.  _ This wasn’t about that _ . Pluto wanted her to select duty, loyalty, and love for Serenity over her love for Kunzite all over again. 

She swallowed, burying her head in her hands. 

_ God _ . Pluto was a fucking bitch. 


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Minako was a trainwreck, a hot mess, a disaster with a capital D. At home, she would have been free to brood within the safe confines of her luxury condo. She could have crawled under her overly fluffy pink blanket with some mochi ice cream and a handy dandy streaming service that she would have shamelessly used to watch reruns of The Bachelor Japan. 

She wasn’t at home, though —thanks a lot, _Pluto_ _—_ she was stuck on the moon. Trapped in the horrifying tragedy of her past life in which she was now being bombarded with painful memories that she could no longer suppress. It was like a heart-wrenching reel in her head, visions of her lost love, their tragic end, and the epic failure in which she’d been forced to watch everyone that she loved die. 

She tried to remind herself that she was  _ Minako Aino _ , strong, persistent, with the determined ability to brush off her hardships with a flip of her hair and an award-winning smile.  _ Minako Aino _ would have had time to recuperate from this slew of emotion, pain, love, and lust, though. Aphrodite, Princess of Venus, revered guardian and leader of the Senshi? Well, Aphrodite couldn’t catch a freakin’ break. 

It wasn’t easy to handle this all in stride while stumbling through the vast array of duties that she’d somehow managed daily. It didn’t help that the moment she’d returned to the moon with Serenity, all she could think about was rushing back to Earth and exploring what she’d shared with Kunzite just one more time. 

She couldn’t, though. No matter how tempting. Her goal was to make sure things ended as tragically as it had the first time. So that Serenity could be reborn as Usagi. This meant that spending time with Kunzite, no matter how appealing, would not make doing that  _ any  _ easier. 

Minako held onto an image of her best friend in her mind. Usagi smiling, Usagi tripping over her own feet, Usagi as Sailor Moon, Usagi looking so happy and so content, fingers fluttering across her stomach as she’d divulged that she was pregnant with Chibiusa. It cemented her determination to see this through despite the dread unfurling slowly and methodically, in her chest. 

Still, with that out of the way, she made a mental list to follow. First, she couldn’t, under any circumstance, see Kunzite again. If she had to see him, she needed to ensure that they were never left alone. Second, she needed to get this over with as  _ fast  _ as humanly possible. She was a pro at faking it  — she was a pop idol, after all — but there was only so much she could handle before she broke under the grief of knowingly leading Serenity to her death. Last but not least, no matter what happened, she needed to make sure that she reminded herself that she’d  _ lived  _ this before. No matter how awful, she was not  _ allowed  _ to change the outcome of things. 

Minako instantly felt better with that in mind, and she was quick to rope the other Senshi on board the SerEndy train. With a bounce in her step, unfailing confidence in her posture and her smile, she cornered Athena first. Mars, she knew, was going to be the most stubborn in this. 

The Senshi of Fire did  _ not  _ disappoint. She was a beautiful force to be reckoned with, purple irises flashing angrily, spitting protests in that super intimidating growly, sexy voice that Minako had often marveled over. 

Still, Minako was persuasive, and there was one thing that superseded everything for all of them. Their love for Serenity and their undeniable weakness when it came to seeing her get hurt. There was nothing more painful than watching the brightness of the Silver Millennium princess get crushed with heartbreak and tears. 

Once Minako convinced Athena, the others were quicker to agree, and she felt better knowing that she’d successfully killed two cats with one stone. (Or was it chickens?) 

With the Senshi secretly shipping SerEndy, things would progress faster,  _ and  _ the others were able to sneak Serenity to Earth instead of her, thus ensuring that she avoided any more run-ins with her smoldering hot ex-lover whom she was desperately trying to convince herself didn’t matter as much as he clearly did. 

Minako was feeling pretty proud of herself, actually, tentatively hopeful that this would be over soon. Her resolve was unwavering until a week later when a sentry guard, dressed to the nines in some pretty sweet moon regalia, sought her out to advise her that the Queen was requesting an audience. 

To say that she was nervous was a vast understatement, and though she’d been careful to tread lightly by keeping her conversation with the Queen to a bare minimum, she’d known that this moment was inevitable. 

For the thousandth time since she’d arrived here, she silently cursed Pluto as she followed the guard, whose name she’d already forgotten, out onto the terrace. The heels of her shoes clicked loudly as she stepped outside onto veins of swirling silver quartz webbed through marble tiles that glistened under brightly lit fairy lights that hung, as if by magic, above them. 

Minako swallowed, all of her well-earned confidence faltering slightly when she fixed her gaze on the Queen, whose regal disposition was awe-inspiring as she stood in front of an ivory balustrade. Her skin, the white silk fabric of her dress, and her silver hair practically glowed as she peered up at Earth, the weight of everything she carried as Queen so clearly etched into her expression. 

Though it was warm, the strange atmosphere on the moon almost stifling, Minako still shuddered, rubbing the palms of her gloved hands over her arms before tentatively approaching Queen Serenity.

The Queen didn’t pull her eyes away from Earth; chin tilted up as Minako halted, nervously stopping beside her. 

It was moments like this that she wished that Pluto had at least had the courtesy of giving her  _ all  _ of her memories, even the minor semantics of court etiquette because she had no idea what the hell she was supposed to do now. Should she speak first? Curtsy? She was on the verge of a minor panic attack, some ridiculous comment poised on the tip of her tongue, when Queen Serenity’s expression softened, a sad smile curling onto her lips as she finally broke through the silence and spoke first. 

“Many years ago, the burden of loneliness became practically unbearable,” she began, her tone quiet, reverent, just above the melodic trill of a soft whisper. “I know there are moments in which it seems like I’m infallible, but I’ll admit, the thought of spending practically an eternity on my own was very much a daunting concept.” 

Minako’s breath caught in her throat, and she clenched her fingers into fists, pressing them into the folds of her pleated skirt in an attempt to hide the way her hands shook under the weight of the Queen’s words. 

When Queen Serenity finally pulled her gaze away from Earth, lavender irises settling onto her with all of the wisdom of a peaceful ruler shining from them, Minako blinked back the unbidden tears that pricked at the corners of her eyes and burned at the back of her throat. 

Queen Serenity pushed away from the railing, her expression solemn as she quietly studied Minako for a moment longer before continuing. 

“When I traveled through the galaxy in search of respite from my loneliness, I found my daughter, Aphrodite, and she has since become everything to me.” 

Minako’s heart skipped a beat, and she could only nod in response. She knew that. Serenity had become everything to all of them. This era had set in motion something powerful, and it was not the Silver Imperium crystal. It was the beauty and beacon of light that would one day be reborn in the body of Usagi Tsukino. 

Usagi was the reason why Minako had to do this again. It was the image of Usagi that she held onto as she proceeded through this nightmare in which she would have to watch everyone die all over again. It was harder to remember that, though, when faced with the solemn elegance of the poised Queen of the Silver Millennium alliance. 

Minako probably should have responded, said something to alleviate the concerns that the Queen was so clearly alluding to, but she couldn’t, and the Queen saw through her anyway. 

Her expression hardened ever so slightly, and she nodded in such a way that Minako may as well have blurted out the whole sordid affair—confessed that she was a time traveler destined to replay their tragic endings. 

“I had intended to send my daughter as a delegate, with her Senshi as protection of course, to Earth as requested,” Minako glanced up, inhaling sharply at the terse tone in the Queen’s voice. “However, it’s come to my attention that as of late, teleportation to Earth’s gate has nearly doubled. Oddly, it seems like the Senshi have suddenly developed a burning need to explore a planet that has always regarded us with hostility.” 

Minako paled, palms slick with sweat, resisting the urge to hyperventilate because  _ holyfuckingshit  _ she was so  _ busted.  _ The first time she’d lived this, Serenity had very much been present on Earth for the yearly summit. Minako  _ very  _ clearly remembered the stunned looks on everyone’s faces when Endymion had recklessly announced that he would not be marrying Beryl, but Serenity instead as he’d knelt at her feet and stupidly professed his love for her. 

It was the catalyst. It was the event that toppled everything, and Serenity  _ needed  _ to be there. 

“So, I will not be sending my daughter to Earth, Aphrodite. I will send you in her stead as her decoy.” 

Minako’s heart fell, twisting painfully in the cavity of her chest. She was an idiot. She was so stupid! She should have done everything exactly as she’d done before, but  _ noooooo,  _ she’d needed to get it over with quickly and painlessly. Except now, this whole thing was anything  _ but  _ fucking painless, and Pluto was going to  _ kill  _ her.

Minako fought back the urge to grimace, steeling her resolve because she had to fix this.  _ She had to.  _

“Your Majesty, surely the Terrans will know that I’m not the princess,” she pleaded, voice trembling in her attempt to convince the Queen that Serenity’s presence on Earth was essential, because it really,  _ really  _ was. “I can assure you that the Senshi and I will be there to protect her every step of the way.”

The Queen arched a silver brow. “There is no possibility that the Terrans would have any indication that you are not the Princess of the Silver Millennium alliance, Aphrodite.” The Queen’s expression was probing,  _ knowing  _ as she deftly challenged Minako with an even stare. “Or is there?” 

Minako was stuck, utterly tangled in this web of lies. Oddly, the first thing to pop into Minako’s head was that stupid Friends episode, and she  knew that the Queen knew that she freaking  _ knew,  _ and she couldn’t believe the reigning monarch of the Silver Millennium was challenging her to  _ admit  _ it. There was no way that she could risk ruining things even more by giving in. 

Even with her heart hammering nervously, she flicked her hair over her shoulder, forcing a fake smile on her lips. “Of course not, your Majesty. It would be impossible for the Terrans to tell the difference.” 

The Queen smiled, brow raised slightly, and Minako couldn’t decide if the guarded look in her eyes was one of disappointment or respect. 

“Wonderful,” she responded, giving nothing away. “It’s decided then. You’ll attend the week-long summit in Serenity’s stead.” 

Minako nodded, bowing slightly with a remembered court etiquette that was only just  _ now  _ coming back to her. On the outside, she was the polished, unbothered perfection that was the fierce Senshi of Venus. 

Inside, she was screaming, cursing Pluto, cursing herself, even as she swirled around gracefully and fled the terrace with her heart stuck in her throat. When she made it back into the safe confines of the chamber, that was admittedly way messier than it had been when she’d first woken up here, she took a second to collect herself. 

After several moments of deep breathing and a bout of hysterical laughter, Minako strengthened her resolve. She stepped towards her mirror, brow furrowed as the swirling ribbons of her henshin disappeared. This was definitely a great big mess, but she’d never turned away from a challenge before. She wasn’t just Aphrodite. She was Minako, too. She was just going to have to be creative. 

Either way, Serenity was going to be at that masquerade ball. She tried not to think about the fact that she was going to be breaking all of the stupid rules she’d made for herself as she fell onto her bed with a misery filled sigh. Her mind furiously racing, she began to plan. 

oOo

“This isn’t going to work, Aphrodite. It’s  _ absurd _ .” 

Minako didn’t have to turn around to see that Athena was currently glaring at her, the flickering flames of disapproval in her eyes burning holes in the back of her head. Serenity, whom Minako was facing as she expertly fitted a coarse woolen cloak around her shoulders, cringed.

Minako winked, reassuring the fretful princess before turning to face the glowering fire Senshi. “Do you think you could manage a little more positivity, here?” she quipped brightly with a dismissive wave. “She looks  _ perfect like _ some sort of handmaiden that just happens to have an excellent skin care routine. We can use that fancy cream Juno has to cover up the moon crescent.  _ No one _ will know.” 

Before Athena could respond, Ophelia stepped towards them, her expression filled with uncertainty as she nervously tucked a tendril of blue hair behind her ear, peering over Minako’s shoulder to direct her regretful gaze towards Serenity. “I have to agree with Athena on this one, Serenity,” she began tentatively, shooting an apologetic glance towards Minako. “This is unbelievably reckless. Even more so than allowing you to go to Earth to meet with the Prince in the first place. It’s clear that your mother knows. The summit is a perfect time to let things settle down a little bit, forge alliances with the Terrans, then, afterward…” 

“No,” Minako snapped forcefully, heart skipping a beat as all eyes in the room turned towards her. “She has to be there.” 

It didn’t matter that she couldn’t explain to the others why Serenity had to  _ go, th _ at she’d royally messed up and somehow wound up taking her place as a decoy instead of how it had initially transpired thousands of years ago. She was determined to fix this, and so the others were just going to have to jump on board because this was  _ happening.  _

Serenity shifted beside her, an uncertain look on her face as she glanced nervously between a steadfast Minako and a glowering Athena, who shook her head with a snort of disgust. 

“So how do you propose we sneak her past the small contingent of guards assigned to escort you to Earth?” Athena challenged hotly. “I’m fairly certain that they’re going to recognize her.”

Minako had crafted an arsenal of excuses to explain why she was condoning this, enabling it even, and all of them were brittle explanations at best. She knew that her perceptive Senshi sisters were going to see right through them. She was banking a whole lot on faith, loyalty, and their mutual love for a wide-eyed, lovesick princess that was wholly on the sneaking-to-earth-as-a-common-handmaiden-for-a-week side. Still, Minako’s pulse quickened, and her throat constricted ever so slightly when faced with having to lie to the Senshi whose eyes all held a smidge of suspicion. 

Minako didn’t have to say a word, though, as Serenity cleared her throat, nervously fiddled with the fabric of her borrowed cloak as her determined gaze traveled quickly between all of them. 

“I know I’m being reckless, and I…” she faltered, and her eyes glistened with tears that she quickly blinked away before bravely lifting her chin. “I’m not foolish enough to believe that this will end well for me. I know that we are not meant to be.” Minako’s heart skipped, and her breath hitched.  _ If only she knew how wrong she truly was.  _ “Endymion will be announcing his engagement to Lady Beryl at the close of this summit. I’ve always known it. I would just ask for this final week to say… If I could just…” 

Juno, who’d remained silent and brooding in the doorway of Serenity’s chamber up until this point, was quick to stride forward. Her emerald green eyes filled with sympathy as she comfortingly curled her arm around Serenity’s waist as the weight of the grief from her perceived loss left her speechless. 

In the end, it was Serenity’s impassioned plea for a final farewell that swayed the hesitant Senshi wholly onto Minako’s half-cocked, ridiculously flawed plan. When Minako’s eyes met Athena’s, the fire Senshi held her gaze steady for a long, stubborn moment before the set of her jaw, and her stance loosened as she nodded. The movement was practically imperceptible, but Minako understood it for what it was. 

She was not going to meet any opposition, and Athena, as well the other Senshi, would stay behind to cover for them while Minako unwittingly led Serenity to Earth, her prince, and ultimately her demise. 

Minako tried not to let the weight of that thought bury her in guilt. 

oOo

Could a heart explode in someone’s chest from literally beating too fast? It was a fleeting thought, but one Minako seriously contemplated when the dizzying sensation of teleportation swept her from the teleportation chamber on the moon to a predetermined location deep within the safe confines of the Terrans palace. 

She tried not to sway, nauseated, slightly green around the proverbial gills when her atoms rematerialized, and the silk, billowing fabric of her borrowed white dress fluttered around her legs. It took a moment for her vision to focus, and in that time, her small but strong regiment of stern-faced guards pressed closer. Their duty to protect the “princess” at all costs, when unbeknownst to them, the real princess was trailing behind them disguised as her handmaiden. Her features and hair safely kept hidden beneath the hood of her cloak. 

Minako blinked, sucking in a breath of air, trying not to let her nerves destroy her bluster as she straightened her shoulders, flicking a carefully crafted tress of hair over her shoulder. She and her entourage were greeted by a room filled with tension and angry-faced men who were all sporting the latest in Terran fashion— armor made of blackened metal, with swords, and ancient Terran regalia that Minako actually thought was pretty cool. 

She let her mind wander for a moment. She was desperate to try and block out the new onslaught of memories and emotions that bombarded her, just as it had the last time she’d stepped foot on this planet, when Endymion, in all of his princely glory, broke through the crowd that reverently parted for him.

It was the first time in over a thousand years that Minako saw the first version of the man who would one day become soft-spoken, blushing, super nerdy Mamoru. Though she should have been expecting it— she’d prepared for this for days, after all— it still caught Minako off guard, and she froze. Her lips parted on a surprised gasp as the slightly intimidating,  _ tall,  _ incredibly stupid, and entitled Prince strode forward to greet her. 

Minako could pinpoint the exact moment that Endymion realized that she was  _ not  _ Serenity. It was evident in the way his step faltered, and his expression darkened, his soft smile replaced by a scowl as he swept forward with confidence that the present-day Mamoru simply did not possess. 

She felt Kunzite’s presence before she saw him, and Minako didn’t have to shift her gaze to know that the silver-haired general had followed in the Prince’s wake. Nor did she have to guess that his expression was just as dark and solemn as his young charge, who halted in front of her, practically bristling with anger and disbelief. 

It was at this moment, of course, that Minako realized what a stupid and dangerous game she was playing. She was fiddling with fire and her future, and everyone else’s depended on her ability to do this right. She’d faced down Youma's, Cardians, Galaxia, stadiums filled with millions of screaming fans, and none of those moments compared to this one. 

Still, she was Minako Aino, and Minako Aino was fucking fabulous and used to pressing through stressful situations with grace and a flip of her hair. This, she decided, was not going to be an exception.  _ Besides,  _ who the hell did reckless, empire toppling Prince Endymion think he was, glaring at her like that,  _ anyway?  _ He was the one that had a secret to hide, and right now, for the moment, she was playing the Princess of the freaking Silver Millennium alliance. 

Minako straightened to full height, shoulders taut, her chin tilted up defiantly as she met Endymion’s chilling gaze with a lofty arch of a perfectly manicured blonde brow. The silent message in her eyes was impossible to misinterpret.  _ What are you going to do now, Prince of Earth?  _

She’d be lying if she said that the resulting frown on his face as he halted, clearly re-evaluating his next move, didn’t please her just a little bit. 

It was as if everyone in this big, ostentatious hall of luxury held their breath at the same time as they waited to see how the dark-haired, brooding prince was going to welcome the Princess of the Moon. It was only her and the Shitennou who stood just as tensely behind him, that knew that Endymion was very well aware that Minako had come to them as a decoy. 

Thankfully, Endymion seemed to come to his senses, and he bowed ever so slightly, never taking his eyes from hers, the anger swirling in them fiercely palpable as he straightened and politely inclined his head in greeting. 

“Princess Serenity,” he forced through gritted teeth. “As Prince of Earth, on behalf of all the Terrans, I welcome you.” 

His tone was an indication that he was anything  _ but  _ welcoming, and Minako knew it was because he was disappointed that he was facing what was essentially the wrong girl. It was on the tip of her tongue to respond just as coldly when Minako involuntarily let her gaze flick over his shoulder. She may not have faltered under the intensity of Endymion’s stare. Kunzites, on the other hand, was  _ much  _ harder to ignore. 

Just like last time, she froze, goosebumps rippling over her arms as she fought back the urge to shudder when faced with the smoldering look that swept over her. God damn, had he always been so fucking beautiful? All carved perfection, broad, proud shoulders, angled jaw, chiseled features, eyes half-hooded, watching her with a calm, heated look of approval. She’d never been more affected by another person in any of her lives the way that Kunzite affected her. 

Minako swallowed, her heart stuttering, butterflies twisting in the pit of her stomach because, suddenly, she was being assaulted by every memory she’d ever shared with Kunzite  _ at once.  _ She wanted to kiss him, push him away, and scream simultaneously. It was overwhelming, and she knew that this was going to be torture. She’d never hated Pluto more than she did at that moment as she forced her gaze back towards the prince, whose expression was cool, expectant as he waited for her to respond. 

Her smile was practiced, buttery sweet as she tipped her head politely, ducking into a barely passable bow that only the Princess of the Moon would have been able to get away with. “Prince Endymion, it’s my pleasure to answer your summit summons. It was such a pleasant surprise.” Her tone was saccharine, sickly sweet in a way that surprised even her, and the Prince’s expression soured even more.

“Of course, your highness,” he responded sharply. “I’m sure that you’d like time to get settled before I formally introduce you to the court. My father would have been here to greet you instead of me, but, as I’m sure you’re aware, he’s feeling a bit unwell, and I insisted that I should meet you in his stead.” 

Minako fought back the urge to smirk because she was well aware of the reasons, or rather,  _ reason  _ why Endymion would have volunteered to greet her upon her arrival. While she’d always relished watching Mamoru squirm uncomfortably, especially in those times that she’d purposely blurt out something that made his cheeks burn crimson red, it wasn’t  _ nearly  _ as fun with Endymion. Besides, her entire future sort of depended on how this next week played out. 

Nodding in agreement, Minako smiled. “Yes, that would be wonderful. I’d definitely like to get my handmaiden and myself settled.” Glancing back in a guise of contrived casualness, Minako crooked a slender index finger, beckoning Serenity forward. She stood apart from the guards that had yet to pay her any attention, her head bowed and her face half-hidden in the shadows. “Ren? You’ll walk with me?” 

When she’d handpicked the regiment of men that had escorted them, she’d kept the need to conceal Serenity’s, or rather  _ Ren’s _ , identity firmly in mind. She’d chosen newer recruits, the ones that had less face to face time with the Princess as well as a few dim-witted individuals that, while very skilled with a sword, did not seem all too bright upstairs. 

Still, the guards' loyalty didn’t lie with Minako. So Serenity knew that she’d have to be careful in their presence or else this whole thing was going to fall apart. Especially if one of them dared to go back and report to Queen Serenity that her daughter was, in fact, on Earth and not holed up in her pretty marble chamber, getting over the flu with just her Senshi allowed in and out as she should have been. 

Serenity stood still, frozen in place for a split second before she huddled deeper into the billowing safety of her cloak and stumbled forward with all of the grace that would have made her future counterpart proud. 

Minako had to give Endymion credit, his gaze locked onto Serenity, narrowed, and the concealed princess didn’t even need to look up before he clearly determined exactly who she was. His hardened disposition instantly softened, and it was almost comical to watch as the tension melted from his shoulders and his taut, unbending jaw, as his expression brightened with  _ that  _ smile—the one Minako had only ever seen reserved for Serenity, or Usagi. 

Endymion’s attitude was a hell of a lot more accommodating when he reluctantly tore his gaze from her “handmaiden” back onto Minako, now sporting a wide, white-toothed smile in place of the scowl that had been on his face just moments before. 

“Shall we, your highness?”

Minako was well aware that Endymion would have rather been extending his hand to Serenity, who was practically trembling with excitement beside her. Still, appearances were important, apparently, and Minako smiled, daintily placing her hand on his arm, allowing him to lead her away. She didn’t miss the way he shuffled closer to Serenity, or the very subtle way he brushed his other hand across hers before turning his attention back onto Minako. 

Inwardly, she sighed a huge sigh of relief, quietly admitting to herself that she’d had no idea if this was going to work out. She didn’t have time to pat herself on the back, though, because as they swept past Kunzite, Minako happened to catch a glimpse of his expression. Clearly, the sharp-eyed, perceptive general had  _ also  _ correctly deduced the true identity of her trailing, quiet handmaiden. 

Minako tried not to cringe, her stomach churning with unbidden dread. In their past lives, she distinctly remembered being on exactly the same page as Kunzite when it came to keeping their respective royal charges apart. This time, she was actively throwing them together. If the look on Kunzite’s face was any indication, he’d figured that out, too. 

Though she should’ve been nervous about how she was going to pull this off, or at the very least, worrying about how this was all going to end,  _ lord help her _ , all she could think about was how fucking  _ hot _ Kunzite looked when he was was furious. 

oOo

Minako was fairly certain that she would have no problem managing all of the duties that came hand in hand with impersonating the princess. Though her memories of this time were not  _ fully  _ intact, she’d spent the better part of the last couple of weeks faking it. This had served her very well up until this point, even though being a delegate for the Moon in a political climate that was hostile, ancient, positively sexist as hell was just a  _ smidge  _ more complicated. Her only real goal now was to be a passably convincing princess while doing her best to push Endymion and Serenity together. 

It  _ should  _ have been easy. 

They were already in that head over heels in love phase of their forbidden romance, after all, and Serenity was disguised as a handmaiden, easily able to move around the Elysion kingdom unobserved. This should have granted the royal couple ample opportunities to sneak off together and do their thing. 

She should have been able to sit back, count the minutes until this all ended, all the while avoiding emotions, Kunzite, and the horrible green mush that the Terrans were fond of serving at dinner. Unfortunately, Minako hadn’t considered that Kunzite was going to be a royal pain in the ass about it. Granted, he was a totally sexy, smoldering hot, super kissable pain in the ass, but a pain in the ass nonetheless. 

He and his band of shitennou were freaking experts at thwarting every single one of her ploys to get Serenity snugly curled into the comforting embrace of her Prince’s arms. Kunzite  _ never  _ left Endymion’s side, and the rotten scoundrel was forever bringing up some kind of princely responsibility that Endymion just  _ had  _ to attend to, and  _ furthermore,  _ the super gorgeous jerk was using  _ her  _ to do it. 

She’d frowned, infinitely irritated when they’d first been introduced to the court and gruff-faced King, and Kunzite had beat her to the punch, loudly pronouncing that the heir to the Silver Millennium alliance would benefit from some education on Elysian tradition and Terran protocol. She hadn’t been able to utter a word before the haughty, condescending King of Earth had latched onto the idea. Much to Endymion, Serenity, and Minako’s dismay, Kunzite proceeded to stoke the idea of having the Moon Princess thoroughly educated by none other than the Prince himself, while the sexy silver-tongued beast expertly stroked the king's massive ego and a deep-seated toxic masculinity that Minako would not have tolerated for one instant had she been at home in the future. 

It was frustrating as  _ hell,  _ and Endymion, despite all of the reckless tendencies that had led him to fall in love with Serenity in the first place, still held a modicum of respect and self-restraint when given a direct order from his father. So, when Endymion  _ should  _ have been spending time with Serenity, he was being forced to escort her around  _ instead _ . It wasn’t ideal, and it was exactly what Kunzite had intended. 

Minako did take comfort in the fact that when he did manage to get her out of earshot of their ever-present entourage of guards,  _ all  _ he asked about was Serenity. Accidentally divulging that he’d sought her out, sneaking to their chamber late on the night of their arrival, but that he’d been diverted by a stern-faced Kunzite who’d stood guard outside of their door  _ all fucking night.  _

At first, though annoyed, Minako hadn’t been too concerned. She’d done what she’d needed to do, after all. She’d managed to get Serenity to the summit. Really, all she should have had to do was ride this thing out, avoid assaulting Kunzite with her growing need to practically devour him, and soon this would all be  _ over. She’d _ be able to go home, potentially murder Pluto, then lick her wounds while mending the shattered pieces of her heart that would inevitably be left in tatters from having to lose Kunzite and watch her princess die all over again.

Of course, she should have accounted for the butterfly effect. 

It became painfully clear that she’d screwed up when, on the third day, Serenity burst into their chamber in tears. Not only was she alarmingly  _ distressed _ , but these were not just quiet, silently stoic Serenity tears  _ either.  _ They were heart-wrenching, gulping sobs of grief as she’d crumpled into Minako’s arms. 

Though it had been difficult to translate the gulping, gasping words she choked out between sobs, Serenity had brokenly rasped out that she’d nearly managed to steal a moment with Endymion, but Kunzite, or one of the other Shitennou under Kunzite’s orders, had set it up so that Endymion was to spend the morning with Lady Beryl. 

Minako had cringed when Serenity had uttered the name  _ Lady _ Beryl because she couldn’t, for the life of her, associate the title Lady with the soul-sucking redheaded witch that had awakened all of them, only to destroy her second chance with Kunzite in the future. 

According to Serenity, she’d received an unsigned message to meet with Endymion, and when she’d arrived, she’d found the prince conversing and laughing with Beryl instead. 

Now the broken-hearted princess was ready to call it quits. To slink back to the moon and nurse her broken heart in the comfort of the Moon Kingdom that she didn’t love nearly as much as Earth. 

Minako’s brow furrowed, practically trembling with rage as she tried desperately to comfort the distraught princess in the borrowed, luxuriously decorated chamber that they’d both been assigned. She did not doubt that this supposed meeting had been a planned, horribly cruel trick to further cement the distance building between Serenity and Endymion. There was no doubt in her mind that Kunzite was responsible for this goddamn travesty that she knew with one hundred percent certainty had  _ never  _ occurred the first time she’d lived through this. 

Of course, Serenity had attended the summit as herself the first time around, and it was much harder to divert the Princess of the Silver Millennium alliance than it was a shy, relatively naive disguised handmaiden. 

Needless to say, Minako  _ knew  _ that Endymion had no intention of pursuing anything with Beryl. Though she hadn’t always liked the Prince of Earth, his love for Serenity was undeniable. They were soulmates, and this was all just a perfectly crafted misunderstanding. Ideally, she should have had faith that they would persevere, but Serenity was dead set on going home, and communication between these two idiots had  _ never  _ been their strong suit. 

This was the moment that Minako’s resolve strengthened. If there had been the option for long sleeves on the flowing white gowns that Serenity pulled off way better than her, she’d be rolling them up in preparation to raise her fists and  _ fight.  _ She was a freaking leader, a fabulous strategist,  _ and  _ the goddamn Senshi of  _ Love _ . Kunzite had  _ no  _ idea what he’d started. 

It didn’t matter that every time she happened to catch a glimpse of him, her heart stopped. Or that she found that she needed to fight back the literal need to pounce on him, kiss him into submission, and explore everything she wanted to with him just  _ one more time.  _ Or that she was pretty sure she was head over heels in love with him, still mourning the fact that she was going to have to lose him all over again. It totally didn’t matter because Minako was competitive by nature, and she was absolutely going to  _ crush  _ him. 

The smile that curled onto Minako’s lips as she soothed her wailing, broken-hearted charge was positively chilling. 

Challenge fucking  _ accepted _ . 

oOo


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It was a long, painful night convincing Serenity that everything was going to be fine. That, although she’d been vehemently opposed to this a mere month ago, she now wholly believed that Serenity was meant to be with Endymion. It was awful and difficult for Minako to compartmentalize what she knew would happen at the end of this week with the words coming out of her mouth. If she allowed herself to dwell on it, she’d crumple with grief, and, damn, this was  _ traumatic _ . It was traumatic to have to do this all over again. 

It only became easier when she reminded herself that Serenity  _ was  _ Usagi. It was only that thought that allowed Minako to tell her outright that this was all going to end well when it wasn’t. That she belonged with Endymion, and that  _ no _ , she shouldn’t retreat because of stupid Lady Beryl. 

It wasn’t easy, but Minako was sort of an expert. She’d spent many nights comforting her friend. Serenity was just the same as she would become as Usagi, wearing her great big heart on her sleeve like a beacon that always left her vulnerable, but somehow,  _ stronger _ . 

Even though Minako managed to keep her from leaving, it was a solemn-faced Serenity that rose from bed the next morning. The shine in her eyes dulled with doubt as she sadly applied the cream that Juno had given them to hide the moon crescent mark that would have given her heritage away as Minako slipped into another white gown. 

She was quiet this morning, her eyes still slightly swollen from the tears she’d shed the night before. This worried Minako as she furtively watched her get ready for the day, tiredly lacing a horrid mustard-colored gown that was a staple for a servant’s wardrobe. 

Minako’s brow furrowed, eyes narrowed as she met Serenity’s gaze in a gold gilded mirror. “Hey, stop with the sadness, will you?” Minako chided softly, forcing a reassuring smile. “I told you, I’ve got your back with this whole Prince thing. I promise you; he’s not into Beryl.”

Serenity arched a brow, expression skeptical as she twirled around, tucking a tendril of hair behind her ear. “Aphrodite, you say the strangest things now,” she sighed, cheeks tinged pink as her shoulders slumped, and she averted her gaze. “I’ve always known that this was going to happen. It was inevitable. Can you imagine a world in which I would be allowed to be with him? To stay here on Earth?” 

The words stung slightly, sadness glistened in Serenity’s eyes, and it took a moment for Minako to reign in the emotion elicited by that look. She swallowed around the lump forming in her throat, smiled, and wrapped her arm around Serenity with a buoyant reassurance that did not reflect the turmoil inside her heart.

“ _ Yes _ , Sere,” she responded fiercely. “I can absolutely imagine a world in which you and your Prince end up happily ever after. You have no idea how easy it is for me to imagine it.”

Serenity perked up a little after that, her responding smile tentative, if not a little forced, as she nodded and straightened her shoulders. “Thank you, Aphrodite,” she whispered gratefully. “It means so much to me that you’ve changed your mind.”

Minako smiled and opened her mouth to reply when a sharp, insistent knock on their door echoed loudly through the room. Pulling her gaze from Serenity, Minako gave the princess one last comforting squeeze before moving away, straightening her spine and fixing a defiant, determined look on her face. It was  _ showtime.  _

When she pulled the door open, the usual stern-faced countenance of a Terran guard greeted her. He sullenly advised them that they were expected to attend the first of the many summit gatherings that would be held this week with the diplomats and politicians of this planet. 

It briefly occurred to her that most of the guards and diplomats were angry-looking men, and Minako allowed a moment to be incredibly irritated by that before she flicked her gaze over her shoulder towards Serenity, who tucked her cloak around her protectively. 

“Ready?” Minako asked, not bothering to respond to the guard whose darkening glower annoyed her. 

Serenity nodded, smiling a little more sincerely, though it still didn’t reach her eyes. 

The guard cleared his throat loudly, forcibly pulling her gaze back to him. “Lord Kunzite has requested that your handmaiden not be allowed to attend the conclave.” Minako frowned, and the guard had the audacity to smirk. “I think this is for the best, your highness. It’s not good practice to sully a handmaiden’s delicate disposition with political matters.” 

Minako inhaled sharply, slender fingers curling into fists, nails biting crescent-shaped marks into the palms of her hands. Her first instinct, of course, was to throat punch the sexist asshole, transform into Sailor Venus, and wrap her very sparkly, very girly Venus love me chain around the crooked column of his neck. Instead, the corners of her lips lifted and stretched into a wide, white-toothed smile. 

She fluttered her eyelashes and tilted her head to the side with a practiced look of innocence that instantly elicited a flustered blush on the stupid guards’ face. 

“Oh, goodness,” she whispered sweetly. “Will there be some horribly complicated things discussed in the conclave?”

The guard nodded, his expression arrogant, filled with undeserved superiority. Minako sighed, long and contrived, before blinking up at the guard, a smile still fixed firmly on her lips. “I guess that political things  _ can  _ be complicated,” she conceded. “It’s a good thing that there is a strong, wise King that’s managed to hold power over an entire galaxy of sentient beings for almost a century.” The guard froze mid-nod, eyes narrowing as he began to detect the saccharine sarcasm in her voice.

Minako’s smile only widened as she continued. “All of whom follow him  _ loyally,  _ literally, whole planets whose people have willingly decided that it’s best to be governed and protected by this King. Millions and millions of people from different races that span across the galaxy who all have enough faith in  _ his  _ ability to lead that they’ve all formed a protective, infinitely powerful alliance that has held true and firm for all this time…” Minako stopped, gasped loudly, eyes widening dramatically. “Oh, damn,  _ wait.” _

At this point, the guard’s face blossomed into a satisfying, embarrassed shade of crimson red, and Minako sucked in a breath, clicking her tongue in mock sympathy. “Actually, that wasn’t a King,” she arched a brow, glancing over her shoulder at Serenity, who was trying very hard to hide her laughter behind tapered fingers that she’d pressed to her lips. “Was it, Ren?”

Serenity cleared her throat, biting her lower lip to hold back her smile. “No, your highness. I believe you’re referring to Queen Serenity.” 

Minako gasped, snapping her fingers in the air with exuberance. “Right _! Queen  _ Serenity.” Her expression hardened as she slid it back onto the speechless, flustered guard. The sickeningly sweet smile slipped from her lips, and the one that replaced it was cold, calculating, mirrored by the steel fixed firmly in her eyes. “A delicate  _ woman.”  _

The guard opened his mouth, emitting a pathetic squeak of breath before he snapped it shut again, visibly swallowing, effectively silenced as he  _ should be.  _ Minako nodded, appeased, and held her hand out to Serenity, beckoning her forward. 

“Right, let’s go, Ren.” 

Serenity didn’t hesitate, flying forward, cheeks tinged pink with amusement. As they passed the guard in a flurry of silk fabric and golden hair, Minako halted for only a moment more, casting the guard a cursory, disgusted look. 

“Oh, and you can tell  _ Lord Kunzite  _ that he can take his orders and shove them up…” she paused, grinning coldly. “ _ Well _ , I’m sure you can think of some creative place to shove them. Or, maybe you can’t. Perhaps that’s too complicated?” 

Minako shrugged, waving dismissively as the guard sputtered indignantly behind them. She hooked her arm through Serenity’s, and they strode confidently down the hall. Truthfully, that had been really stupid. She was supposed to be playing the diplomatic princess after all. 

When she glanced sideways at Serenity, though, all pink-cheeked, giggling, her happiness momentarily restored, Minako decided that it was totally worth it. Though what made it even more worth it was the stunned, angry look on Kunzite’s face when she strode into the men-filled chamber with Serenity firmly in tow. 

There was a hushed, hostile tension that permeated the atmosphere when she swept into that room. It was difficult not to be a little intimidated as Minako pressed forward, forcibly ignoring the gazes that felt like they were attempting to set her on fire telepathically or something. It was particularly challenging to ignore Kunzite, who stood with the other Shitennou, hovering in his place just off to the side of a raised dais where Endymion and his father were seated to preside over whatever the hell this conclave was supposed to entail. 

Minako didn’t feel nearly as brave as she tried to look, lifting her chin defiantly, holding firm with an air of confidence as she stood proudly, waiting for direction for what she was supposed to do next. 

Endymion’s eyes only glanced off of her for a second before he fixed them on Serenity, who was diligently keeping her head bowed, trying to remain unobtrusive, precisely as they had discussed she was supposed to be. 

Minako suppressed the urge to frown, quietly gritting her teeth instead. When she’d concocted this plan, she’d known that Serenity was meant to do everything possible to keep unwanted attention from falling onto her. It probably wouldn’t bode well if she were discovered as the real princess, especially as their own guards were strategically stationed along the walls with the Terrans around the room. 

Still, it pissed Minako off to see Usagi remotely cowed by this room of stupid, ignorant men who were actually just as much to blame for the Silver Millennium downfall as the Prince and Princess whose only faults were that they’d loved each other enough to fight for it. If only they’d put aside their misogynistic values to consider that they would benefit from joining the Silver Millennium alliance, perhaps Metalia wouldn’t have had so much fodder to latch onto.

The newfound realization humbled Minako, and she was even further endeared by Endymion when she caught the momentary glimpse of disapproval that tightened his features as well. He didn’t like to see Serenity like this any more than she did. 

The King beckoned her, and she tried not to let the simmering rage just beneath the surface bubble over as she strode forward. She was starting to feel a little nervous now, though, because she vaguely recalled that she’d been with the other Senshi the first time she’d stepped into this meeting. Safely flocked around their princess, their fierce elemental powers proudly on display. They’d been feared that time, and no one would have dared to look at Serenity like they were looking at her now. 

She swallowed around the lump of dread forming in her throat. She’d really screwed this up, and for the first time since she’d woken up in her past life, her confidence was really and truly faltering. 

_ Fuck.  _ This was the  _ worst  _ time for this to happen, and Minako tried to reign it in. To get a hold of herself, but she was spiraling, only now realizing that Endymion would have a difficult time proposing to a Princess that was disguised as a  _ handmaiden  _ at the masquerade. 

Surprisingly, Kunzite helped her press back the doubt and fear creeping in because when she glanced up, her eyes automatically searching out his, he raised a silver brow, smirking at her in that sexy, challenging way that renewed her confidence. He nodded, only ever so slightly, and if she’d blinked, she would have missed it. 

It was the acknowledgment that she didn’t know she’d needed, and Minako straightened her shoulders, smiling triumphantly in response before moving to sit on Endymion’s left up on the dais as befitting her station. Of course, the tension didn’t dissipate even a little bit as she made her way to her seat, and Minako made a big show of it  _ just for fun.  _ Sitting with dramatic flair and an exaggerated primness that elicited angry, harsh whispers, a scowl from Kunzite, and a reluctant smirk of amusement from Endymion beside her. 

Then, Minako noted that Serenity was stepping back, moving towards the back of the room with the other servants like the wallflower that she fucking  _ wasn’t.  _ What Minako did next was reckless as hell, stupid, actually, and utterly counterproductive to all of the carefully crafted rules she’d set for herself when she’d come up with her plan to get through this. Minako decided to throw the ‘do not change anything’ rule right out the window where it belonged because, really, did it even matter? 

Just as the conclave was to begin, Minako cleared her throat loudly, pulling all of the angry eyes onto her. “Hi, excuse me?” she blurted, awkwardly waving her hand in front of her face. “So, my handmaiden, Ren? Yeah, she’s not going to stand over there. She’s going to sit beside me.” 

There were gasps of disapproval, a rumbling discontent that rippled throughout the room. If Kunzite could have face-palmed, he totally would have, but the corner of Endymion’s lips quirked up into a half-smirk. 

“Your highness,  _ that  _ is highly irregular.” Minako slid her gaze onto a rail-thin, super pompous man wearing an atrocious, ruffled sleeved shirt, who spoke up angrily. “You realize that you’ve been honored with a place beside Elysian  _ royalty _ . To have a servant sit on the same dais as royalty…” he trailed off, sputtering, and the others hemmed and hawed their agreement. 

The King had yet to say a word, his expression guarded as he observed them quietly, but Endymion arched a brow as if to say, “ _ What are you going to do now?”  _

Minako fought back the urge to glare at him because, really, where the hell was the reckless prince she was counting on? He was being way too diplomatic about all of this. It was annoying as hell. 

Minako nodded, pursing her lips. “Sure, sure.. I totally get what you’re saying,” she replied, and the future dialect that she usually took more care to tone down only served to deepen the frowns and louden the grunts. “Also, I don’t really care. My handmaiden sits beside me.” 

This time, the outrage was not whispered, and the discontent was very loudly voiced. It was the King that silenced them with a booming order. The King's expression was stern, sharp, as he ignored Minako and his gaze settled on Endymion instead. 

“What are your thoughts, Endymion?”

The King's deference to Endymion surprised Minako for a moment, but it wasn’t hard to see that something wasn’t quite right with the King when she looked closer. The lines of his features were strained, weathered, a weight reflected in blue eyes that were only a slightly duller color than the cobalt blue that belonged to his son. The King was sick. Unlike Queen Serenity, he did not have the luxury of an endlessly long life, and he was creeping towards the end of his mortality. 

It made sense, now, that he’d be grooming the Elysian Prince to take his place. It’s why there was a masquerade planned. It was why Endymion had been pressed to marry Beryl to quiet the political rumblings of discontent. For a moment, Minako felt sad. She let it sit in the cavity of her chest as she absorbed the painful reality that the King, along with all of the people in this room, would soon perish, anyway. 

Endymion leaned forward, his smile soft, contemplative as his gaze swept over the room. He looked like he was considering it carefully, but Minako did not miss the way his arms flexed, and his hands shook. He wanted Serenity to be seated at this table just as much as she did.

“The reason we’ve extended an invitation to the princess of the Silver Millennium alliance to join us at this summit is because the council unanimously agreed that there was a need to entertain the idea of change.” Endymion’s calm, impassioned speech reminded Minako so much of Mamoru; it made Minako’s heart ache with homesickness. He was the picture of unshakable confidence as he leaned back, casually glancing over at Serenity, who stood frozen, utterly horrified by what was happening around her. “Why not start by allowing the handmaiden a place at the table?” 

Though still palpable, the anger was a little more muted this time as it seemed that no one dared to challenge the prince openly. Minako could barely focus on the other people in the room, anyway, because she was mesmerized by the heated look of promise Endymion fixed on Serenity. The double meaning and weight of his words reassured Minako that the reckless Prince that dared to topple an empire for the princess he loved was very much still present. 

He beckoned Serenity, and Serenity blushed, scrambling forward with all of the grace of Usagi Tsukino instead of Serenity. In fact, she almost tripped, and Endymion’s smile widened dotingly. God damn, he was absolutely  _ smitten.  _

Minako had to choke back the emotion, glancing away quickly to try and calm the painful thrum in her chest. This needed to happen.  _ This needed to happen.  _ But, dear God, what she wouldn’t give to change things. To save them from what was coming. 

It was a bit of a blur, scrambling for an additional chair, guards squeezing the mahogany monstrosity between her and Endymion for a flustered Serenity who huddled deeper into her cloak as she moved to sit beside the Prince. 

When the conclave business finally began, attention was thankfully diverted from the drama of a handmaiden at the dais, though Minako didn’t miss the occasional hateful glare thrown her way. Endymion, for his part, did not pay any attention to Serenity for the remainder of the meeting that Minako barely participated in. To everyone, it seemed like the Prince was utterly indifferent to the pretty-faced girl beside him, who was very careful about keeping her head down. 

Only Minako was able to see, from her position, that their fingers were intimately intertwined, safely hidden beneath the table. 

For some reason, the sight made Minako’s heart ache; it ripped open the ever-present hole of loneliness and regret that Minako had spent years mending. She knew why she felt this way. She could lie to herself all that she wanted, but she knew with one hundred percent certainty that it was because she longed for her soulmate, too. 

The painful realization automatically had her seeking out Kunzite’s gaze among the shitennou. When their eyes connected, she knew that he felt the exact same way that she did, too. It took every bit of willpower Minako possessed not to burst into tears in the middle of that heated, politically charged conclave. 

This time, losing him was going to kill her. 

oOo

“Aphrodite, are you sure this is a good idea?” 

Serenity was the picture of perfection later that evening when they’d finally retired for the night, fleeing the distrustful, wary, and downright hostile glares of Terran diplomats. It had been an eventful, ridiculously tiring day in which they’d spent hours listening to petty men snipe about stupid things that weren’t going to matter soon, anyway. 

Somewhere along the line, Serenity had managed to steal a moment of Endymion’s time. The result was a planned, clandestine, nighttime rendezvous in which they were finally going to get some much needed alone time to cement their relationship. Which would lead them to the moment in time that Minako was dreading more than anything.

The sun had sunk below the horizon ages ago, the skyline darkened, only softened by the illuminating glow of a million stars that weren’t yet obscured by light pollution. The luminescence of the Moon was almost overwhelming, beams of light spilling through the uncovered windows, warmly molding around Serenity as if they were reaching out for her, willing her to go back to where she’d come from. 

Serenity had ditched the coarsely knitted yellow atrocity that was her servant’s dress, and instead, wore one of her own white, silk shifts. Though she was still safely cloaked in a woolen shawl that did nothing to hide the absolute ethereal beauty that was the Moon Princess in all of her glory. A vision with alabaster, unblemished skin, curved perfection, and a purity that Minako wanted to protect so badly that it hurt. 

Minako swallowed, tamping down her grief as she nodded. “Yes, Sere,” she choked, attempting the impossible task of sending off her best friend, her sister, to what would essentially be her demise. “I do. You and Prince Endymion belong together.”

The smile that lit up Serenity’s face was blinding, and she giggled softly, sweetly, the sound positively enchanting as it rippled over Minako. 

When the soft ping of a small object colliding with the glass-pane of the carved, gold-gilded balcony door resonated sharply throughout the room, Minako suppressed the urge to flinch. As there were guards and a potentially grumpy member of the shitennou stationed outside of their chamber, the plan was to lower Serenity into Endymion’s arms over the balcony’s limestone railing that was roughly nine feet off the ground. 

They both turned towards the source of the sound, and Serenity was bristling with excitement even as Minako’s heart skipped a beat with dread, all of her instincts demanding that she keep the princess safe. 

Serenity didn’t hesitate. She flew towards the door, fingers fumbling with the latch as she pulled it clear. It squeaked on its golden hinges as a gust of wind helped press it open the rest of the way. 

Minako was a little slower to follow, forcing one foot in front of the other as she stepped outside, sidling up beside Serenity as they both leaned over the railing to peer into the darkness below. True to his word, Endymion stood there, face tilted up, expression expectant, and mirroring the same anticipation in Serenity’s. 

“Hi, you,” Serenity giggled shyly. 

Minako rolled her eyes because she was pretty sure that if she wasn’t standing here, Serenity would have already thrown herself over the edge without a second thought. Such was the trusting nature of her beautiful yet infinitely naive best friend. 

Endymion’s lips curved, eyes half-hooded and softening as his gaze greedily swept over her face. “Hi, yourself,” he chuckled, lifting his arms above his head. “Ready?” 

Serenity nodded eagerly, already lifting her leg to straddle the balustrade. Minako sighed, grasping her waist to steady her before she toppled over the edge. 

Endymion frowned, his gaze hardening as it slid onto Minako. “Are you sure you can hold her?” he demanded sharply, worry laced into his tone. “Are you strong enough?” 

Minako’s eyes narrowed, lips pursing with irritation as she cast the Prince an indignant scowl. “Oh, I’m sorry? Do you have the power to blast people out of the sky with a flick of your wrist and a shower of elemental, Venus-fueled hearts?  _ No _ ? Then don’t worry about me there, buddy.” 

“Aphrodite!” Serenity scolded sharply. 

Endymion’s eyes widened, confused for only a moment before his face lit up with amusement; smirking, he chuckled and inclined his head in acknowledgment. “Duly noted, Venus,” he conceded. “Don’t make a fool of yourself by dropping her, then.” 

Minako couldn’t help it when she proceeded to stick her tongue out at him as she curled her arm around Serenity’s waist and carefully leveraged the Princess over the edge. Serenity curled her arms around her neck, and Minako gritted her teeth, grunting from the exertion of holding on tightly as Serenity carefully let herself fall, dangling over the railing. Her only anchor was Minako, whose arms shook with the strain of slowly inching her down into Endymion’s waiting arms. 

She felt the moment Serenity’s weight transferred from her arms to Endymion’s. Minako held her breath, and it was as if time slowed for an instant as Serenity slipped from Minako’s grasp, her fingers grazing across hers as she quietly mouthed a ‘thank you’ before gracefully dropping into Endymion’s embrace. 

Minako’s breath hitched, involuntary tears burning at the back of her eyes as she leaned over the railing, unable to tear her gaze away as Endymion tenderly set Serenity on her feet, their eyes locked as he caressed the side of her face. They only lingered for a moment before Serenity waved, and Endymion pulled her away. It felt like she couldn’t breathe as she watched them go. Her fingers curled so tightly around the railing that her knuckles bleached white as she forcibly pressed her lips together to keep from calling out. To demand that they come back. That they  _ stopped  _ this before it killed them both. 

She tore away from the railing so quickly, twisting around so abruptly, she felt dizzy, her vision blurred as she retreated into the chamber with her heart in her throat. She’d never imagined that this would be so fucking hard, but really, she should have known. Pluto was right.  _ She was so right. _ Minako would live with this regret for the  _ rest  _ of her life. It wasn’t just that she’d lost Kunzite, either. It was because, on some level, she’d always felt like she’d failed. She’d let it happen, and now, she was going to have to let it happen again. 

Minako didn’t cry often. She was a pick-yourself-up-and-dust-yourself-off kind of girl. She always had been, but there was something cathartic about curling up in billowing yards of ancient, but soft, fabric, burying her head in a feather-filled pillow and allowing herself to cry— to mourn what she was going to lose. 

Then, when the tears subsided, and she was no longer sobbing quietly into the hollow silence of the room, she let her eyes flutter shut, hoping to retreat for a little while into the void of sleep where she could comfortably come to terms with the anger blossoming in her chest. 

That was what she’d intended, anyway, until she was startled awake from the comforting cusp of sleep by a loud bang as the door of her chamber flew open and ricocheted off of the marble coated wall. The wood snapped across the stone with such force that Minako was sure there would be a dent somewhere. 

Inhaling sharply, she bolted upright, instantly on alert as she twisted her torso, craning her neck towards the source of the sound. 

She was equal parts relieved, irritated, and pleased to see that it was Kunzite that was storming into her bedroom, slamming the door behind him with a furious flick of his wrist. She flinched when it snapped shut. 

Kunzite’s rage-filled gaze barely glanced over her figure twisted in the blankets on the enormous four-poster bed. Instead, he scanned the room, expression darkening, jaw clenching tightly when he clearly did not find what or  _ who  _ he was looking for. 

“Where is  _ she?”  _ he growled, the sound feral, practically unhinged. “She’d  _ better  _ be here!” 

Minako’s pulse quickened, her heart picking up in pace as the raspy, incredibly sexy sound of his voice washed over her like a velvety caress, which was not his intention because Minako  _ knew  _ that look. Kunzite was furious. 

Still, she smiled. Her lips curving slowly, lashes fluttering as the tension eased from her shoulders, and she made a show of leaning back, propping herself up on her elbows before arching a blonde brow in amusement. 

“Why, hello, Kunzite,” she greeted sweetly. “If I’d known you were going to barge in so unceremoniously, I may have slipped into something a little more appropriate.” 

Just as she’d intended, Kunzite's head whipped around, his gaze zeroing on her as she purposely positioned herself on the bed so that the silken nightgown that she’d slipped into before sending Serenity off, slid up her thigh, her hair a golden curtain of silk artfully arranged around her shoulders. She knew exactly what she looked like, and she was pleased, a thrill of excitement coiling in the pit of her stomach when he sucked in a sharp breath, hissing through his teeth. 

He must have realized that his eyes had lingered for much longer than they should have because he cursed angrily, taking a hurried step back. “That’s enough, Aphrodite,” he hissed, eyes blazing with rage. “What the hell are you playing at?” 

Minako frowned, no longer amused as she pulled herself up into a sitting position, tilting her chin up defensively. “I’m not sure what you mean, Kunzite,” she replied coldly. “I’m not playing at anything.” 

He choked on a dry, humorless laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. “Surely you’re not serious?” he snapped, shoulders squared, anger rippling off of taut, strained muscles as he glared down at her in all of his tall, intimidating,  _ glorious  _ perfection. “We had a plan. We spent hours working out the details, ‘El Fuella. We’d agreed that they were to be kept apart at all costs until Endymion was safely married and the rebellion successfully quelled. It’s what’s best for both of them.” 

Minako's breath hitched when his expression darkened as he stalked towards her, halting only when he towered directly above her. The look in his eyes changed, anger melting into something smoldering instead. His gaze trailed over the features of her face, dipping lower, and Minako swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry as she squirmed under the sizzling intensity of his stare. 

The tension eased from his shoulders, his expression softened, and Minako’s heart stopped when he lifted his hand and brushed a stray tendril of hair aside. His fingertips barely grazed her cheek, like the softest caress of a fluttering butterfly wing. Still, Minako trembled, biting back an involuntary moan as goosebumps erupted on the surface of her skin. 

“I know that I was not the only one in the room the night that we made that decision,” he growled, his voice lowering a whole octave, the heated insinuation eliciting memories of  _ precisely  _ what they’d spent the night doing before they’d come to a consensus. “Or have you forgotten already, El’ Fuella?” 

It would be so easy for Minako to throw caution to the wind. To laugh in a practiced, sultry way that she’d managed to perfect over the years. Then she’d stand, curl her arms around his neck, and just let herself give in. Explore Kunzite’s body in all of the ways that she’d longed for just one last time. She was on the brink of doing just that because, let’s be honest, when Kunzite died this time around, and she was pulled back home into the future, she was going to be crushed  _ either way.  _ Why not create one more memory? One more moment to give her comfort late at night when she was curled up in the darkness of her lonely, quiet bedroom. 

Though her mind was muddled in a haze of lust and need, Minako grasped at the last leg of her common sense. Inhaling deeply, mustering the strength she needed to pull away, she stood, pushing away from him in one flurried movement. He deserved to know that she was no longer on his side, that she’d changed her mind, and that they were no longer on the same page. 

She twirled away from him, crossed her arms, body stiffening as she put some distance between them. “Oh, trust me, Kunzite. I remember,” she began, flicking her hair over her shoulder, twirling around with a flippant, casual smile. “But, I’ve since decided that I am not willing to let Serenity live a life of abject misery by giving Endymion up. She loves him; he loves her. End of story.” 

When she risked lifting her gaze, and her eyes connected with his, she inwardly cringed. Kunzite had many talents and a vast array of skills and abilities. There was a reason he was the leader of the Shitennou, Endymion’s right-hand man, and dubbed the General of Darkness. He was a brilliant strategist, cold, calculating, and above all, incredibly perceptive. His eyes that had been filled with a smoldering heat just moments before had cooled considerably, his gaze cold, angry, as he looked at her in a way that he never had before. It broke her fucking heart. 

The corner of his lips curled up into a sneer of disgust. “You’re a lot of things,  _ Venus,  _ but I’d never taken you for a vecking liar.”

Minako gasped, blood draining from her face because though she should have, she hadn’t expected the venom in his voice. After everything she’d been through, the ploys she’d juggled, the burden of knowledge she was being forced to carry, the grief, the pain, and the fucking unbearable sadness. To hear the man she loved so much speak to her  _ like that,  _ a tarnish on what would be one of her last memories of him, it finally broke the unfailing optimism that had always been Minako’s anchor, her saving grace. This time she didn’t feel the urge to curl up into a ball and cry;  _ this time,  _ she was fucking angry. 

She’d always been careful,  _ oh so careful _ , to keep that particular emotion locked away, but now it unfurled in the pit of her stomach, clawed its way into the cavity of her chest, and tore through her with an intensity that brought tears of rage to her eyes. This wasn’t fair.  _ It wasn’t fucking fair. _

“ _ Veck you, Kunzite,”  _ she hissed, fingers curling into fists, muscles taut and trembling. “You know  _ nothing.  _ Do you think that you’re doing the right thing by keeping them apart? You’ll fail.  _ You’ll fail anyway.”  _

She’d caught him off guard because he froze, brow furrowing with confusion as he took a step towards her. Minako choked on a sob and hastily stepped back. “You think  _ I’m  _ a liar?” she laughed dryly, vision blurring with tears. She was spiraling again, but this time, she couldn’t stop it. “You’re lying to yourself.  _ You know you are. _ Are you kidding me? Endymion isn’t going to marry  _ Beryl _ ,” Minako sneered with derision, furiously swiping away the tears that spilled from her eyes and slid messily down her face. “He  _ isn’t  _ going to marry Beryl, the rebellion is  _ not  _ going to be quelled, and  _ you and I _ ? We’ll  _ never  _ be together.” 

_ There _ . She’d fucking said it. Was Pluto happy now, she wondered? Was she glad that she’d openly admitted that she sometimes regretted that she’d chosen her duty and love for Serenity over Kunzite in the deepest darkest corners of her soul? Because in the end, she’d been the one to let Serenity go. She’d changed her mind. She’d let her go to that fucking masquerade despite  _ everything.  _ She’d known the choice she was making then, and she knew the choice she was making now, too. 

She felt lost, her mind dipping below the water where she was drowning in the anger,  _ guilt,  _ and grief in control of her now. It was only when Kunzite let out a low, angry expletive, strong hands framing her face, gently but firmly tilting her head back so that she was staring into the tumultuous, ice-blue of his eyes. 

“Get a hold of yourself, El’ Fuella,” he ordered, though the gentle tone in his voice belied the harshness of his words. “Are you not the leader of the Senshi? The fierce defender of love, and all those blessed to be within the orbit of your protection?” 

She choked on a hysterical bark of laughter, snorting miserably as she crumpled, knees buckling. She would have slid down to the floor like the pathetic hot mess that she was, except Kunzite growled, curling one arm around her waist like a protective steel band that pressed her body flush against his. He anchored her against him, roughly tangling his fingers in the hair at the back of her head with his other hand. 

All she could do was curl her arms around his neck as he lowered his face mere inches from hers. His breath labored as it fanned across the bridge of her nose, dusting the tops of tear-stained cheeks. 

“You and I?” he rasped, tightening his hold on her, his fingernails scraping across her scalp as he gently pulled her head back, angling her face to align with his. “We  _ are  _ going to be together. You’re mine, El’ fuella. You’ll always be mine.” 

Minako whimpered, his harshly whispered words like a honeyed promise that washed over her like warm, liquid sunshine. Yes.  _ Yes.  _ She  _ was  _ his, and he would always fucking be  _ hers _ . 

There was no longer a thread of common sense or reason that existed in Minako. With a guttural cry of desperation, she came to life, lifting her hands, curving her fingers to tangle them in the soft, silver strands of his hair as she propelled herself onto the tips of her toes, crushing her lips onto his with a ferocity that was painful, bruising,  _ perfect.  _

He met the fierceness of her kiss with equal measure, not bothering to be gentle as his lips moved beneath hers, teeth nipping, tongues tangling as he pulled her closer, delving deeper. Kunzite moaned, the sound muffled by her lips, the vibration rippling through his chest that was snugly pressed against hers. 

Minako whimpered as she forcibly tore her lips from his, gasping for breath, her bow-less hair fluttering around her shoulders in glossy waves as she leaned back, taking a moment to memorize the curve of his jaw, the chiseled angles of his cheekbones, the tender, lust-filled look burning hotly in his eyes. This was stupid. It was so stupid, and it was going to kill her, but she wanted him even if they could only belong to each other one last time before it ended. 

Her lower lip trembled, eyes burning still with tears as she trailed one hand down the thick, muscle-corded column of his neck. He said nothing, breathing heavily as he watched her, waiting to see what she would do next. 

She smiled softly, the wistful curl of her lips eliciting a frown from him.  _ He didn’t understand.  _ There was no way that he could. Minako lifted her hand from where it rested in the hollow of his collarbone, and slowly, she tried to smooth out the crease on his brow, fingertips fluttering across the bridge of his nose before she tenderly swiped the pad of her thumb along the pillowed curl of his bottom lip. 

A new onslaught of tears welled in her eyes because she’d wanted to forget the carved beauty of this face that had always haunted her dreams, but she’d never been able to. This was cruel, so unfathomably cruel to give her this one last time only to take it away again. 

She swallowed, bravely meeting his gaze with a determined glint in her eyes. “Kunz,” she whispered hoarsely, desperately. “I need you. Will you stay with me tonight?” 

He hesitated, confusion etched into his expression as he lightly brushed his fingers along the curve of her cheek in a gentle, tentative caress. “El’ Fuella,” he rasped. “Tell me what’s wrong. I’ll fix it for you, Aphrodite. Whatever it is, _ I’ll fix it _ .” 

Minako wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry, so instead, she smiled. “I just...” she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence, purposely pressing the soft curve of her body against the hard, unforgiving edges of his instead. 

He groaned, eyelids fluttering shut for a short, pained moment before he leaned forward. In one swift, desperate movement, he curled his forearm beneath the swell of her ass, hoisting her against him, silently urging her to part her legs so that she could curve them around the sharp dip of his hips, hooking her ankles, pressing her heels into the small of his back. 

She was a bundle of nerves, heart in her throat, pulse racing as she curled her arms around his neck. She rolled her hips ever so slightly, gasping as the friction sent thrills of pleasure rippling through quivering thighs as the fabric of her silk shift slid enticingly against her. 

He growled, and Minako smiled, lowering her lips into the crook of his shoulder, nipping,  _ slowly _ , seductively lapping her tongue in the muscled hollow of his neck. He cursed, his breath hot against the shell of her ear, and when Minako laughed, the sound muffled against his skin, he closed the gap between the bed in two long, hurried strides. 

She gasped when he loosened his hold, and she slid down the length of him, landing smoothly on the soft surface of her bed. He stood, knees slightly pressed into the edge of the mattress between her legs, and Minako curled her fingers around the seam of his pants, the pad of her thumb grazing the cool clasp that held them up. 

She didn’t hesitate, fumbling desperately with the buckle, but it was Kunzite who stopped her, gently grasping her wrist to halt her movements. She inhaled sharply, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth with a frown of confusion as she craned her neck to peer up at him. Did he… did he not want this? 

Kunzite’s expression was the most unguarded that she’d ever seen. The emotion in his gaze was raw, intense, just as desperate as hers as he fell to his knees in front of her. He gripped her hips, sliding her forward until she sat at the edge of the bed, her knees pressed into his ribs, legs loosely curling around him. He tenderly palmed her thighs, thumbs tracing soothing circles on her skin, as her shift slid upwards, bunching up at her hips in between them. His eyes were level with hers, and her heart skipped a beat because she could see that he was searching for the answers she couldn’t give him. 

“ _ Tell me, _ Aphrodite,” he demanded hoarsely. “Tell me what’s  _ wrong _ .”

For a split second, Minako almost did. She almost spilled the whole sordid truth. How this was going to end, how he would be reborn in a new life, one filled with promise, just like her. But that it would take her too long to remember, and by the time she did, Beryl would find him first. That she’d lose him again because their destinies were never meant to intertwine. 

She came to her senses, though, and instead, she caressed the side of his face, tears spilling from her eyes. “I just want you to remember this moment, Kunz.  _ Please.  _ If at all possible, if there is one thing that you could remember, it’s that you loved the girl with the red bow.” 

If anything, she’d confused him even more, but it didn’t matter. Minako was through with words, grief, and dwelling on the things she couldn’t have. All she wanted, at this moment, was to feel the weight of Kunzite on top of her, moving inside of her, making her whole for one more night. 

So, before he could say anything, she grasped the snow-white lapels of his tunic, yanked him forward, and slanted her lips across his. It didn’t take long to distract Kunzite from the uttered words he would never understand, and soon he was growling, groaning, his tongue sweeping along her bottom lip, begging entrance as he gently urged her backward. She arched her back, curling her legs around his hips as his body covered hers, and he gently pressed her into the mattress. 

The moments that followed created a new memory that Minako would  _ never  _ forget. She’d forever recall the sound of tearing fabric, the feel of slick skin slipping against hers. Tangled tongues, hitched breathing, and whispered confessions of love as Kunzite pulled her to the brink of ecstasy with the satisfaction she’d never been able to replicate with anyone else. 

It was only later, satiated and curled snugly in his embrace, that Kunzite brushed his lips across the shell of her ear, humming contentedly as he tightened his arms around her. 

“If the girl in the red bow is you, El’ Fuella, there’s not a chance that I’d forget that I love her.” 

Minako said nothing, and it was only when his breathing evened, and his grip loosened in his sleep that she allowed herself to cry again. 

oOo


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

She woke up alone the next morning, and her heart was in tattered shreds as she sucked in a pained, trembling breath. She broken heartedly let her fingers trail over the sheets that were still warm from where he’d slept comfortably curled up beside her. She’d known that the aftermath following her final night with Kunzite was going to be hard. She’d expected that, but the emotional trainwreck that assaulted her in the light of the next morning still managed to catch Minako off guard. 

Choking back an involuntary whimper, sniffling pathetically, Minako forced herself to sit up. She miserably wiped away tears and stray strands of hair from her eyes as she blinked, squinting into the orange and red hues of the rising sun as it spilled into her chamber. The light glinted off golden fixtures and reflective floors. 

She was only just trying to clear the cluttered mess in her head, still stuck in the haze of sorrow, when a sharp, familiar ping reverberated in the silence of her room as a tiny pebble glanced off the balcony window. 

Minako’s eyes widened, and she cursed, stumbling as she frantically scrambled out of bed. She was moving uncharacteristically slow, clumsily thumbing through silk gowns as her white shift lay in tattered shreds on the floor beside her bed. Despite the thread of panic coursing through her, she managed to pull it over her head, adjusting it half-heartedly as she flew to the balcony door, pulled it open, and leaned over the railing to peer into the garden down below. 

It was Serenity, her hair just as mussed as Minako’s, rosy-hued lips swollen, her shift askew. The only difference between her and Minako was the glow of happiness that seemed to ripple off Serenity in waves. She wasn’t alone, accompanied by an equally ruffled Prince, whose expression was just as lovestruck as hers. 

Minako frowned, lips pursed in disapproval. “It’s daylight, Sere,” she snapped, unable to suppress the irritation that crept into her tone. “You were supposed to be back hours ago.” 

Of course, it occurred to her that had Serenity been back hours ago as initially planned, she would have caught her and Kunzite in a very compromising position. Still, Minako’s heart was aching, and she couldn’t help but feel irritated, and okay, perhaps a smidge of jealousy as she glared down at the very well-loved, _very_ happy Princess. 

Endymion arched an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over her frazzled appearance. It soured Minako’s mood further because the perceptive Prince looked at her as if he knew exactly what had transpired between her and Kunzite. 

“Lower your guard, Senshi,” Endymion defended. “She’s perfectly safe. I’d never let anything happen to her.” 

Minako’s grip tightened around the railing, and she swallowed around the angry lump that formed in her throat. _Liar._ Such a _liar._

Minako had enough sense to understand that she was currently in pain. She was dealing with a whole lot of emotional whiplash, and her bitter, angry thoughts were just a projection of how she was currently feeling. So, she bit her tongue, took a deep breath, and tried her very best to let it go. It wasn’t going to be that easy, of course, but at least now she wasn’t at risk of physically assaulting the prince because this wasn’t his fault either. 

The thought elicited the ghost of a smile on her lips because she imagined the look on _Mamoru’s_ face if he’d ever heard her say that out loud. The thought was oddly comforting, and it bolstered her enough to pull from a reserve of strength that she hadn’t known existed to temporarily push through her emotions so she could get through the final stretch of what she needed to do. 

With a long-suffering sigh, Minako leaned further over the railing, extending her arms out for Serenity. 

Serenity’s responding smile, a glowing beacon of brightness, was reward enough, but Endymion’s brow furrowed with concern. “Are you sure that you can…”

“If you imply that I’m not strong enough one more time, I’m going to _lose_ it.”

Endymion chuckled, unapologetically shrugging. He bent down and lowered his head to steal a final, quick, but passion-filled kiss, pulling away, brushing his lips across her brow before leaning down to carefully grip her hips. 

Minako had to give Endymion credit where it was due. The prince was strong, lifting Serenity above his shoulders as if she weighed less than a feather. Minako leaned over the railing, curled her arms around Serenity’s torso while leveraging her knees against the wall of the railing, grunting as she hoisted her over it. 

It wasn’t graceful, like _at all_ , and they both slipped, falling to the ground with a yelp, a flurry of tangled hair and limbs. Minako grunted as Serenity’s elbow caught her sharply in the ribs, and Serenity hissed through her teeth as Minako accidentally kneed her in the abdomen. 

“Ren, are you all right?” 

Endymion’s concerned voice drifted from below, and Serenity gasped, scrambling to her feet, smoothing back her hair, cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment as she waved to him reassuringly.

“I’m fine, Dimi,” she exclaimed breathlessly. “I’ll see you later?” 

Minako rolled her eyes, grimacing as she pulled herself to her feet, deciding to ignore the final moments of their forbidden interlude as she slipped back into the chamber, flopping face down onto the bed with a muffled, misery-filled sigh.

Several moments later, Minako only heard the shuffle of fabric as Serenity slipped back into the room, quietly clicking the door closed behind her. She knew that she probably should have lifted her head, smiled in that flippant, practiced way, but Minako couldn’t seem to find the will to pull her face from where she’d pressed it into the lumpy, feather-filled pillow. 

It was only when she heard a small gasp of dismay from directly beside her that Minako finally pulled away from the pillow. She twisted her neck, dejectedly laying her cheek on its side so she could peer up at Serenity, who’d paused beside the bed, white silk fabric crumpled in her hands, eyes wide as they swept with alarm over what remained of the discarded nightgown Minako hadn’t had the time to pick up. 

Minako grimaced, biting her lower lip. She’d really rather not explain that to Serenity, to be honest. She’d rather not say Kunzite’s name out loud because it only reverberated painfully in the hollow cavity of her chest. But Serenity didn’t know that, and the concern glistening so clearly in her expression when her gaze connected with hers made Minako feel guilty as hell. 

“Aphrodite…” she began warily, shifting uncomfortably before continuing. “What happened?” 

Minako sighed loudly, eliciting a tiny puff of breath that fluttered along the stray strands of hair across the bridge of her nose. “You know, it was the strangest thing,” Minako exclaimed, trying for exuberant, though there was an undertone in her words that trembled. “So, I was totally walking across the room? And then, BAM, out of nowhere, my feet give out!” It took everything Minako had to pull herself up, sit upright as she tried to emulate a sincerity that exhausted her. “I tripped, and then _rolled,_ and you know, some of those pretty marble tiles are actually broken? I mean, they aren’t _now_ cause I totally put in a complaint. Well, they totally ripped up my nightgown, and...” 

Serenity was adorably naive. Like, so innocent that Minako had wanted to tear her hair out of her skull in frustration on several occasions. Of course, now that she needed that naivety the most, Serenity would have to give her _that_ look—all raised eyebrows, skeptical and concerned. 

Minako sighed again. The whole tore-my-dress-on-the-ground story was a ridiculous lie, anyways. “Alright, it wasn’t the tiles on the ground,” she conceded miserably. “I’d rather not talk about it, Sere. I promise everything is fine.” 

Serenity frowned, gazing down at her with a flicker of the perception that Minako had witnessed often in her future counterpart. Finally, she nodded, carefully laying the torn gown on the bed. “All right, Aphrodite,” she agreed softly. “As long as you promise that you’re well.” 

Minako forced a smile. “Of course. I’m totally fine.” 

Serenity studied her with consternation for only a moment longer before she reluctantly nodded, then turned away, moving towards their temporary wardrobe to dress in what was presumably another abomination of fashion no matter which era it happened to exist in. 

As Minako watched Serenity get ready, still sitting cross-legged on the bed, she suddenly felt overwhelmed. It wasn’t just because of Kunzite, either. It was because of Serenity, too. She watched her pick through her clothing choices, a soft, thoughtful smile on her face, and Minako felt like she was being crushed under the weight of her guilt. 

How could she let Serenity die, knowing that she could save her? 

Who was to say that if Serenity had been allowed to live, take her place as Queen, that she wouldn’t have brought forth a new era of peace? One in which Metalia and chaos would not be allowed to coexist with all of them? It was possible that she could have lived happily without Endymion as Queen, wasn’t it? Then maybe…. Minako swallowed, blinking back tears as she hastily looked away. _Then maybe she wouldn’t have to watch her die._

Breathing deeply, Minako licked her lips, nervously wringing her fingers together. “Sere?” she whispered hoarsely, not even sure what she was thinking. “Can I ask you something?” 

Serenity must have detected the pain in her voice because her eyes filled with confusion and concern as she turned to look at Minako. “Of course, Aphrodite,” she breathed, abandoning a horrible mud-brown dress to move towards her. “You’ve always been able to speak freely around me; you know that.” 

Minako nodded, bravely lifting her gaze to look at her beautiful, loving friend. “Do you think you’ll be happy as Queen? If it means that you’ll never see Endymion again?” 

Serenity’s face fell, clearly taken aback by Minako’s question. The princess froze for a moment, inhaling sharply as she seemed to consider it. 

“I… Well, you know that I’ve always been prepared to… to lose him, Aphrodite,” she whispered, and it broke Minako’s heart to hear the tremor in her voice. “So I… I know what lies ahead of me, but I…” she paused, sighing sadly before continuing. “No. I’ll never be happy again. Not like this. I would give anything to live the life of a normal girl if it meant I could live on Earth with Endymion.” 

Minako was expecting that answer. She’d always known as much, but still, if she was going to do this, if she was going to go to that stupid fucking masquerade and watch the person she loved more than anyone else forfeit her life, she had to be sure. _She had to._

“What if it meant your life, Sere? What if it meant you’d die?”

Serenity didn’t hesitate. “Then I’d perish happily, knowing I was able to spend my last moments with Endymion.” She cleared her throat, overwhelmed with emotion as she dismissively waved her hand. “Anyways, Aphrodite. There’s no point in discussing such morbid things. Endymion hasn’t given me any indication that he’d be willing to do the same. It’s only a matter of time before it’s over.” 

Minako didn’t respond, and Serenity nodded, clearly satisfied that this conversation was done as she twisted on her heels, moving towards the dresses with a more sullen disposition than she’d had before. Her back was turned, bent over the brown dress, so she didn’t see the way Minako’s face paled. Or the way her eyes fluttered shut, her expression pained as a lone tear, the last one she internally vowed to shed, slipped down her face. 

oOo

It was a more stoic Minako Aino that bravely pushed through the next few days. She did everything that she was supposed to do. She went to the conclaves; she discussed trade agreements that would never happen. She leveraged the benefits of joining an alliance that they would never join, and she pressed forward with steel in her spine that helped alleviate the grief that only seemed to amplify as they crept closer and closer to the masquerade. 

She was quiet, less flippant, and her disposition had taken a more severe turn. Serenity definitely noticed the difference, and Minako didn’t miss her worried glances or the catch in her voice when she tried to prod her for answers. For her part, Minako’s responses were stilted, crisp, harsher than she intended. Serenity was not the only one who noticed the shift. So did Kunzite, who’d valiantly attempted to get her alone several times after the one wonderful, glorious, _heartbreaking_ night that they’d spent together. 

It took all of her strength and willpower to appear indifferent, the Senshi of Love suddenly the girl who wouldn’t give him the time of day. Of course, Kunzite didn’t know what was going to happen. She couldn’t blame him for getting angry at what seemed to be a cruel and casual dismissal. Minako was forced to watch as his expression went from hopeful, to furious, to guarded until finally, on the morning of the Masquerade, he barely glanced her way. 

Minako convinced herself that it was for the best. That, somehow, when this was over, it would have been easier because she’d forced herself to pull away emotionally. She was lying to herself, of course. As she’d always been relatively self-aware, she let that uncomfortable realization sit, unsettled, in the pit of her stomach as she spent what was to be their final day at the summit with Serenity. Several guards followed them as they meandered the rose gardens that Endymion’s family was famous for growing.

The parallels between the ruby red roses that Serenity marveled over in awe and the ones that Tuxedo mask would wield to save her in the future did not escape her. In fact, it only deepened the crevice of sorrow that had serpentined its way through Minako. Cementing her decision, though, she wasn’t going to lie; she’d contemplated kidnapping Serenity and whisking her back to the safety of the moon despite everything. 

Serenity’s mood mirrored Minako’s as they left the gardens, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun, to get ready for the Masquerade. She didn’t have to wonder why the real princess looked miserable, gaze downcast as they slowly trudged back to their shared chamber. Serenity believed that tonight Endymion would close the summit with his announcement to join with Beryl in marriage. It would appease the sour-faced lords, and it would tamper the tiny threads of Chaos that were already beginning to take root in the vulnerable, flawed people on this planet. 

Minako knew better, though. She knew how this was going to end even if Serenity didn’t, and though her heart was breaking, Minako forced the first smile that she’d been able to manage in days as she straightened her shoulders and swept into the chamber ahead of Serenity. 

Serenity silently followed, the door quietly clicking shut behind her as Minako wordlessly strode towards their borrowed wardrobe. With her heart in her throat and tears constantly threatening to blur her vision, Minako flipped through the yards of fabric— silk, chiffon, velvet laced with tulle. Honestly, there was an _excessive_ amount of gowns crammed into the hand-carved wooden wardrobe. _That_ was a thought Minako would never have imagined crossing her Pop-idol, slightly materialistic mind, and it elicited a frown as her fingers finally settled on the dress she was looking for. 

Inhaling sharply, heart skipping a beat, she reverently ran her fingers over the gold-beads embroidered into the bodice. She’d seen this dress many times. It was _the_ dress. The one that embodied Serenity’s spirit and exploded in blinding ribbons of white silk as it molded to Usagi’s body every time she called upon the power of the Silver Crystal. 

She pulled it from where it was pressed snugly between less impressive dresses, hands shaking as she carefully cradled the garment. The fabric, like malleable, liquid silk in her grasp pooled around her fingers, falling beautifully, the bottom seam sweeping across the marble-tiled floor. 

Minako fixed her gaze on that dress’s familiar contours, wondering how it could look so crisp, new, and normal given the weight of what it would one day symbolize. She was so transfixed by it and everything that it represented that she didn’t hear Serenity approach until she sidled up beside her.

“Oh,” she breathed softly, sadly. “That’s one of my favorites. Will you wear it tonight, Aphrodite?”

The wisp of a smile curled onto Minako’s lips as she tore her gaze away from the dress and turned towards Serenity. “No, Sere,” she replied quietly, her tone steady and filled with determination. “You’ll be wearing this tonight.”

Serenity’s brow creased, cerulean blue eyes flicking from the dress to her face in confusion. “I don’t understand. I’m meant to be your handmaiden.” 

Minako shook her head, carefully handling the gown before pressing it into Serenity’s hands. “Not tonight, you aren’t,” she replied. Before Serenity could protest, Minako had already propelled herself to the tips of her toes, pulling two identical, ivory-colored, delicate masks from where they’d been packed. They’d both been crafted for her for the express purpose of this event. They were exquisite, hundreds of delicate silk threads expertly intertwined. “It’s a masquerade, Sere, and tonight, you will be going as yourself.” 

Serenity hesitated for a moment; her eyes fixed onto the mask with longing as she subconsciously tucked her dress closer. “Aphrodite, what if… what if they recognize me?” 

Minako laughed, lovingly fluffing Serenity’s hair. “Don’t you worry about a thing, Sere. Trust me. The men in that room can’t tell one blonde from the other.” 

Serenity’s eyes lit up with amusement, and she giggled, twirling towards the wardrobe with an air of excitement that hadn’t been present just moments ago. “You’re wrong about that,” she breathed, smiling brightly. “Dimi will notice. He always notices me.” 

Minako’s smile faded, though she was careful not to let her dismay show. Yes. Endymion would notice her, and after tonight, their fates would be sealed. 

Serenity glanced up, frowning as she carefully studied Minako. “Does this mean that you’re going to wear the green gown?”

Minako grimaced, shaking her head with disgust. “No,” she replied sharply. “There is no chance in hell that I’ll ever step into that cotton monstrosity.” With a determined swish of golden hair, she turned towards the wardrobe and plucked out another one of Serenity’s white gowns instead. It was much simpler than the one Serenity would wear, but it would do the trick. “Tonight, oh dearest princess, me and you?” she exclaimed, grasping Serenity’s shoulders with a forced smile. “We’re practically going to be twins.” 

When she’d said it, she’d genuinely meant it. There were many times in the Silver Millennium era that Aphrodite, Senshi of Venus, had disguised herself as a decoy to protect Princess Serenity. They were of the same build, same height, the delicate and dainty contours of their facial features practically identical. However, when Minako artfully arranged Serenity’s hair, dressed her in _that_ dress, and reverently placed the intricate lace mask on the bridge of her nose, securing it by tying a silk, silver ribbon at the back of her head, there was no mistaking her for anything but the regal, beautiful princess that she was. 

Minako’s breath hitched, a lump of emotion forming in her throat as she took a step back to admire her handy work. Serenity was a glowing vision of happiness and beauty as she twirled around, eyes glistening excitedly from behind her mask as she faced her. 

“How do I look?” she asked eagerly. “Will they think I’m you?” 

Minako blinked back unbidden tears, her responding smile shaky at best. “There is no question that you are not me, Sere,” she whispered brokenly, and Serenity’s face fell. “I could never pull off that kind of beauty.” Minako amended quickly, and Serenity blinked, caught off guard, giggling shyly with a blush and a dismissive wave of her hand. 

Minako cleared her throat, straightening her shoulders and the faltering smile on her lips. “ _However,”_ she began flippantly, “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the men of this planet all tend to look right through you. As I said, I doubt they’ll be able to differentiate one blonde princess from another.” 

Serenity frowned, brow furrowing beneath her mask in contemplation. “Perhaps that’s true now, but Dimi is going to change things. He understands.”

Minako nodded in agreement to appease her, knowing full well that Endymion would never get the chance to change anything. He might have, had he been given an opportunity, and it tugged on her resolve a little bit to think about that. To wonder what could be if she stepped in and stopped Serenity from going to the masquerade right now. 

She ignored those feelings, though, dutifully securing her own mask to her face as the shrill call of some sort of trumpet announced that the festivities had officially commenced. 

With a heavy heart, Minako extended her arm to a blissfully naive princess and smiled. “Ready to go to your prince?” 

Serenity’s shoulders slumped sadly, but she nodded and accepted her extended hand. “He’s not mine,” she whispered as Minako pulled open the door that seemed a little heavier and harder to move today. 

Minako didn’t answer aloud as they swept into the hallway and the waiting guard straightened their stances, eyes fixed appreciatively on Serenity. 

He wasn’t her Prince yet, but he was _going_ to be. Minako held firmly onto that thought like it was her anchor in a sea of grief as they pressed through the gathering crowd of Terrans, who stepped aside to allow the Princess of the Silver Millennium alliance to sweep in and rightfully steal the show.

oOo

Prince Endymion wasn’t the least bit fooled, and his gaze only swept over Minako for a moment before fixing onto Serenity, recognition dawning in his eyes. She had to give him credit. Just like Mamoru, Endymion hid his emotions well, and he barely skipped a beat as he bent forward, lips lightly brushing across Serenity's hand in greeting. 

They’d cleared the hall in which the majority of the conclaves had been held. It was a sight to behold, and it almost rivaled the sheer opulence of the palace nestled on the moon. It was pristine, reflective floors and golden fixtures glistening, with towering pillars and vaulted ceilings highlighting the sheer magnitude of the room. It should have been a glamorous affair, but this masquerade was dull in Minako’s opinion. 

She vaguely recalled balls on the moon. Women in gorgeous gowns that shimmered as they moved, laughter, and joy threaded through the atmosphere. This masquerade was a sham, miserable in comparison. Not only were the diplomats deemed important enough to attend standing sour-faced and rim-rod straight, but their daughters and wives appeared just as miserable, dressed from head to toe in heavily brocaded gowns in dark, depressing colors. She and Serenity, in their glittering white gowns, stood out amongst a sea of brown, black, and charcoal grey. 

The tension in the air was practically unbearable, and Minako felt anxious, her throat constricted nervously as she dutifully stood along the wall, carefully keeping her eyes on Serenity. The princess in question appeared utterly unperturbed by the tense, almost dangerous vibes in the room. She laughed, the sound sweet, melodic, like the honeyed chords of a siren, and more than one person shifted their gaze onto her as she quietly conversed with the Prince. Minako noticed that Endymion was less cautious, standing closer, head bent lower than it should have been. 

Minako’s fists clenched, lips pressed into a grim line as she watched them standing on the dais as if they hadn’t a care in the world. Completely undisturbed by the scowls, narrowed glances, and the hatred that was beginning to simmer into hushed, angry conversations. _Idiots._ They were _such_ fucking idiots, and Minako could barely stand it. 

Her vision blurred, and she inhaled sharply as she blinked, and a tear escaped, slipping beneath the mask covering her eyes. Cursing under her breath, furious by the turmoil and sorrow tearing through her, Minako fled the ballroom. She was quick, graceful, and she remained in the shadows along the wall before slipping through a carved glass door and into the safety of the terrace outside. 

The chords of a haunting melody playing from a bodiless orchestra spilled outside with her. Minako gasped, hands trembling as she flew just outside of the circle of light, and pressed her body against a marble railing that served as a barrier to a well-maintained garden. 

Thankfully she was alone and gasping, choking on an involuntary whimper; she ripped the mask from her face, casting it aside without thinking. Her throat constricted, her breathing labored as she tried to reign in remnants of what remained of her strength. 

She wasn’t sure how long she stood there in the darkness, bent over the railing, managing the hurricane of emotions raging inside of her. It was almost over. _This was almost over._ Would she have to stay until the very end, she wondered? Watch as they struck Endymion down? Hear the blood-curdling wail rip from Serenity’s lips just before she thrust a sword into her abdomen, the steel pressing into fabric and flesh effortlessly like a knife slicing through butter? 

“Aphrodite.”

The low, rumbling sound of a concerned voice tore her from the darkness of her thoughts, and she gasped, taken off guard, raking her fingers across her cheeks to wipe away tears before swiveling around to face the source of the unwanted intrusion. 

It was Kunzite. _Of course it was._ There wasn’t a damn thing in this life that came easily, and she was not going to get the clean break from him that she’d so desperately thought that she wanted. 

She wasn’t able to manage a casual smile or a dismissive attitude. She couldn’t even muster the cold indifference she’d been sporting like a badge of honor for the past couple of days. So, she knew without a doubt that everything she was currently feeling was written plainly on her face, the dejected slump of her shoulders, and the downward curl of her trembling lips. 

She could have faced anyone else in that moment— Serenity, Endymion, all of the Senshi, and every angry-faced, sexist man who lived on this planet. She could have faced all of them and managed just fine. Kunzite, on the other hand, dressed so handsomely in the black, tailored suit of a guard, staring at her with that probing, worried, borderline hard look on his face. Well, he could undo her without even trying. 

“Kunzite,” she gasped hoarsely, lifting her hands to stop him as he took a step towards her. “ _Go._ Please. I can’t. Go away.” 

He didn’t listen to her, of course he didn’t, and she wasn’t sure if she was angry or relieved when he grasped her outstretched wrists, gently tugging her into the warmth of his embrace. Minako released a shuddering, emotion-fueled breath and melted against his chest. She buried her head in the hollow of his collar bone, her lips brushing across his throat as she curled her fingers into the fabric of his tunic. 

“What is it?” he rasped, his breath fanning across the tiny tendrils of hair lining her forehead. “Veck, Aphrodite, why won’t you confide in me?” 

She laughed, the sound dry, humorless, and muffled against his skin. _Aphrodite._ She was named after the stupid Goddess of Love. She suddenly hated that fucking name. She wanted him to know her real name. It was ridiculous, reckless, and would probably cause more confusion, but it was the end now, and what did it matter anyway? 

Pulling back, eyes wet with tears, she tilted her chin up to peer into his eyes. They were filled with tenderness, even though worry was clearly etched into his expression. “Minako,” she choked, lips quivering. “My name is Minako. You’re going to forget me, Kunzite, and it won’t be your fault, but my name is Minako. I’m the girl with the red bow, and I just want you to know that I loved you. I still love you.” 

Her impassioned confession deepened his confusion, and he frowned, lifting his hands to roughly cradle her face. “What the vecking hell are you _talking about?”_ he snapped with frustration. “Have you gone mad?” 

She didn’t have time to explain it. It would take hours to even brush across the tip of the iceberg of facts that he would require to comfortably conceive the truth of what she wished she could tell him. Instead, Minako took a deep cleansing breath, allowing herself to move past her grief to accept that this was how it was. This was how it had to be, and she was going to do it without regrets. 

When her eyes fluttered open again, Kunzite’s expression was stern, filled with frustration, and Minako smiled and leaned forward to brush her lips across the unyielding corner of his mouth. 

“Will you dance with me?” 

She hadn’t intended to ask him, but just then, the sad, beautiful chord of what resembled a violin drifted outside, and impulsively, she wanted to savor this final moment. Kunzite’s eyes widened in disbelief, his frown deepened, and he exhaled slowly with a shake of his head. 

“El’ Fuella, you’re going to be the death of me.” She nearly choked, his words hitting closer to home than he could possibly imagine, and he studied her for a moment as his hands slipped from her face to grip her hips. The tension eased from his shoulders, and the corner of his mouth curved upwards ever so slightly. “All right, then. I’ll dance with you, El’ Fuella. But then you _will_ tell me what’s wrong.”

Minako nodded, adding one more lie to the pile, and it appeased Kunzite, who promptly and expertly twirled her into his arms. As a pop idol, the choreography was something she’d spent hours perfecting. It was nothing compared to this, though, and she let him take the lead as he twirled her across the deserted terrace. She was breathless and dizzy as they moved in perfect synchronization. He dipped her, pulled her close, and she allowed a moment to lose herself in the comforting warmth of his arms. 

She could have lived that dance forever. She would have remained dancing even when her feet bled, and her muscles quivered with exertion. She would have begged him to _keep_ going so that she could avoid what happened next. 

It was Jadeite who interrupted them, expression wild with fury as he rushed onto the terrace with fire blazing in his eyes. 

“Kunzite,” he hissed. “What the hell are you _doing_ ? You need to come inside right now. Endymion has officially lost his _vecking_ mind.” 

Kunzite abruptly released her, squaring his shoulders, that hard-won mask of duty and indifference falling back into place. “What do you mean?” he snapped. “What’s happened?” 

Minako swallowed, hugging herself, curling her fingernails into the sensitive skin of her arms. It was still early, wasn’t it? One glance through the glass doors and Minako’s heart fell. No, it wasn’t too early, and already the bellows of outrage were spilling outside, assaulting her ears. It was done. She’d let it happen again. 

Jadeite laughed, the sound a bit hysterical. “The Prince has just announced that he’s going to marry the vecking Moon Princess. Everyone is in that room, Kunzite. We won’t be able to control this.” 

Kunzite inhaled sharply, his expression filled with fury and disbelief. “ _What?”_ he roared, taking a step towards the ballroom. It was only when he’d almost stormed over the threshold that he froze, glancing back at her. His eyes were cold as they connected with hers. “Did you know?”

A new onslaught of tears fell from her eyes, spilling in droves down her face. “Yes, I knew,” she admitted hoarsely. “I know you don’t understand, Kunzite, but this had to happen.” 

Kunzite shook his head in disbelief, eyes blazing with fury. Without uttering another word, he spun on his heels. He tore into the ballroom where Minako could vaguely make out the top of Endymion and Serenity’s heads over the crowd of angry, bellowing men. Their lives wouldn’t be forfeit tonight, but it wouldn’t be long now. 

Gathering a will to fight that she didn’t possess, Minako took a step towards the door, the words of her henshin poised on the tip of her tongue. She didn’t get a chance to say them out loud, though. Nor did she get the chance to contact the other Senshi, gather the guards, and begin what would be a horrific and devastating war. 

Instead, her body froze, limbs paralyzed on the terrace outside in a white, silk gown that she’d borrowed from the Princess she was willingly allowing to die. The world spun, and Minako gasped, wobbling, out of breath as the colors of her surroundings blurred and melted away. With a cry of dismay, her knees buckled, and she fell back. Before her body hit the ground, her eyes fluttered shut, and everything went black.

oOo

This time, she woke up with a scream on her lips. It was as if she’d been torn from a nightmare, all of the details vivid, painful, infinitely traumatic. Every muscle in Minako’s body was tensed, taut with stress as she bolted upright in disbelief. It took a moment for her vision to focus, to orient herself because a second ago she’d been standing on a terrace, throat constricted with grief, and now, she was in her fucking dressing room again. 

The fluorescent lights of her Hollywood mirror shone unbearably bright, illuminating her body splayed out on the floor in a whirlwind of designer dresses and shoes— the same mess that had been there when…

Minako choked on a sob, burying her head in her hands. It was the same mess that had been here when she’d waltzed into her dressing room after her show, only to find Setsuna sitting on her couch, ready to force her back down memory lane. _Setsuna._

The snarling, fury-filled growl that tore from Minako’s throat was practically feral as she snapped her head up, vaulted to her feet, red blurring the edges of her vision as it swept through the mess of her dressing room. 

“Setsuna!” she snarled, the sound hoarse, dangerous. “Pluto! _Where are you?!”_

Minako envisioned wrapping her fingers around her neck, twisting, aiming to kill all while sobbing with grief. How could she have done that to her? Why? _Why?!_

Setsuna was no longer present in her dressing room — _fucking coward —,_ but Minako did catch sight of her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were swollen, red-rimmed, but otherwise, she was exactly as she’d always been. Her makeup was perfect, her dress the height of fashion, her hair perfectly coiffed with a pretty red bow jauntily set at the crown of her head. 

She could have cried. She could have stood in front of that mirror and looked inward until she logically worked through everything she’d just been through. Instead, Minako took a deep breath, parted her lips, and fucking screamed. 

She wailed, snarling, spitting angry as she tore the bow from her hair and hurled it aside. Then she leaned forward, picked up the pretty glass dish that housed an array of her other red bows, and she threw it with such force the glass practically whistled as air sluiced over it right before it smashed with piercing accuracy smack dab in the middle of her mirror. The resonant, infinitely satisfying sound of shattering glass as it cascaded over her vanity and onto the floor was oddly comforting. 

It felt so good that Minako didn’t stop there. She tore through her dressing room in a blind rage, alternating between deep, heart-wrenching sobs and thunderous roars of rage. She’d never get over this. _Never._ It was one thing to have to live with the haunting echoes of the love she’d harbored for Kunzite in _another life._ But to have to live with the full brunt of it? The _grief_ of losing him? It was unbearable. It was going to be _unbearable._

It didn’t take much longer for Minako to work the initial onslaught of pain from her system, and when it did, she could only stand amidst the wreckage of her dressing room feeling numb, hollow, and drained. 

The muffled sound of her cell phone ringing successfully pulled Minako from the devastation in her head, and she blinked, feeling disconnected, in a daze as she slowly moved to find it. She found it wedged between the couch cushions, decidedly ignoring it, as she carelessly tossed it onto the table amidst broken pieces of glass and discarded red bows. 

She was tired now, _so tired,_ and first and foremost, she needed to go home, lick her wounds, nurse her broken heart. Then, when she was feeling more like herself, she would find and murder Pluto.

Feeling a smidge better now that she had a solid plan, Minako angrily raked the back of her hands across her cheeks to wipe away the offending tears that wouldn’t stop leaking from her stupid, burning eyes. Leaving behind her phone, purse, and everything else that she wouldn’t typically forget to grab, Minako fled the wreckage of her dressing room that was still temporarily stationed in a corded off area beside Hibiya park. 

She was so miserable she probably would have walked all the way home, but she was a pop-idol, and she’d paid a driver an exorbitant amount to wait around for her after every show. He didn’t even complain when he popped out of a sleek black sedan, his uniform crisp, clean, as if he’d just freshly pressed it. If she’d been in her right mind, Minako would have been impressed with his dedication. She wasn’t, though, and she barely acknowledged him as she miserably slipped into the back seat. 

He tried to make small talk as he pressed the ignition starter, and the engine purred to life. After several moments of stubborn silence from her, he quieted, and Minako appreciated it when he lifted the partition between them, granting her a modicum of privacy as he smoothly swerved into traffic to take her home. 

With a snort of disgust, eyes narrowing into the blurred lights of passing cars and neon signs outside, she envisioned what was currently her big, dark, empty condo. How would she ever find a way to be content with her loneliness again? 

It made her angry, then it made her sad and miserable, and then… then an image of Usagi smiling, eyes bright and filled with the same love and purity that had been present in Serenity, popped into her head. As the car pulled into her driveway, coming to a stop, Minako exhaled her first real breath of acceptance since waking up again.

_Yes._ She’d done the right thing; she’d made the right decision again. Still, as she slid out of the car, facing the looming prospect of an eternity spent alone, she wondered bitterly why the hell Pluto had felt the need to have her make that horrible decision all over again? She was evil. That was the only _vecking_ explanation. 

Still, Minako pushed thoughts of Pluto and her untimely demise from her thoughts as she pressed forward, nodding politely at the lobby concierge who dutifully held the door open for her. With a depressed sigh, Minako slipped into the elevator, deftly punching in the code to her penthouse condo suite, leaning against the wall with the express purpose of propping herself up to avoid falling to the floor in a miserable puddle of sadness and exhaustion. 

She was trying to remember if there was still a tub of ice cream in the freezer when she finally arrived, stepping over the elevator threshold into her condo with a loud, longing-filled sigh. It took a moment as she kicked off her shoes to realize that something was different. She froze, confused because there was a table there that hadn’t been there before, and instead of the pink, bedazzled basket filled with colorful slippers in the genkan, there were only two pairs of slippers neatly lined along the wall—one pair which did not belong to her. 

A loud, resounding bang from within the confines of her condo made Minako’s head snap up abruptly, brow furrowed as she stepped up the single step into the hallway warily. Why were the lights on? She _never_ left the lights on, and for a second, Minako thought she’d gone to the wrong place. Still, she pressed on, heart racing, mind whirring with all of the possibilities. Had someone broken in to… leave a table and steal her basket of slippers? 

It was absurd, but the adrenaline was working overtime, _and_ it occurred to her that she’d stupidly left her cell phone behind as she followed the source of the noise to her bedroom door, which was slightly ajar. Minako jumped when a shadow darkened the sliver of light that spilled from the small crevice as someone passed in front of it. 

_What the hell?_

She almost turned around to flee into the lobby to ask for help until it suddenly occurred to her that… _goddamn,_ she was Sailor Venus. She’d fought literal monsters that spewed acid and wielded energy-sucking weapons. _Clearly,_ her time in the Silver Millennium had scrambled her brain. With a deep breath of preparation, Minako puffed out her chest, squared her shoulders, then proceeded to karate chop her door open with a loud and _very_ dramatic ‘ _heeee-Ya!’_

Of course, it occurred to her that it probably would have been more beneficial to transform before smashing the door open, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it as the door slammed against the wall with a resounding crash.

She burst into the room, fully intending to take the intruder _down,_ but she froze, the blood draining from her face when her frantic gaze settled on the sweep of broad shoulders and long, _familiar_ silver hair. 

She couldn’t breathe, her heart in her throat because surely she was imagining that Kunzite was standing in her bedroom, back turned to her as he faced a full-length mirror. He didn’t jump, flinch, or so much as cringe from her less than stealthy entrance. 

Instead, Minako’s breath hitched when his eyes met hers, and he raised an eyebrow, _smirking_ at her in the mirror. “You know that I could hear you coming from the moment you walked through the door, right?” he chuckled. “You need more practice, El’ Fuella. Even Usagi has more grace than that.” 

She opened her mouth, jaw slack with disbelief, but found she couldn’t manage to utter a single word. It was impossible. _It was impossible._

Kunzite frowned, finished adjusting the cuff links on a stunning and expensive-looking suit jacket before he swiveled around, eyes studying her face with confusion. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked, his voice low, rumbling comfortingly as it washed over her like a blessed, velvety caress. “I thought we had plans to meet Mamoru and Usagi after your show. Did something happen?” 

Minako was trembling, her brain warring between disbelief and pure unadulterated bliss because how was this possible? _How?_ She took a step back, shaking her head, mumbling incoherently. 

“How… _Kunz,”_ she gasped, unable to produce into words the torrential whirlwind of emotion tearing through her. “How is this possible?” 

One second she was on the verge of crumbling to the ground into a liquified ball of distress, and the next second she was in Kunzite's arms. He anchored her against him, cradling the side of her face with a dark, dangerous look etched into his expression. 

“Minako, my heart is on the verge of stopping here,” he all but growled protectively. “What happened? Did someone hurt you? Have you been crying?” 

Minako choked on a bark of hysterical laughter. He was here. He was holding her, and, _ohmyfuckinggod_ , he’d just called her _Minako._

“Kunz,” she rasped, “Less than an hour ago, I was standing on a terrace. My heart broke as you angrily pulled away from me and stormed into a ballroom to attempt to stop a rebellion after Endymion announced that he would marry Serenity. I was prepared to lose you _forever_ and now… now…”

She couldn’t finish the sentence and, quite annoyingly, she burst into another set of tears. She’d never cried this much in both of her lifetimes, and it was really starting to get to her. 

Kunzite sucked in a stunned breath, eyes widening before his expression softened with understanding. He chuckled even as Minako sniffled loudly as he pulled back and tenderly framed her face with his hands. The tips of his fingertips wove into the curled wisps of her bangs, and he swiped the pads of his thumbs along her cheekbones to wipe away her tears. 

“You have no idea how often I’d wondered when it would happen,” he murmured, leaning forward to brush his lips across her brow. “I don’t know what life was like before you traveled back, El’ Fuella. I’ve speculated, though Pluto warned me to keep it to myself. All I know is that all my life, I’ve dreamt of you. I dreamt of your face as you begged me to remember the girl with the red bow.” 

Minako gasped, choking on a whimper, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure she could hear it. “But, Kunz,” she breathed, curling her fingers into his tailored suit jacket, pulling him closer as if he’d disappear if she let him go. “Beryl brainwashed you, and I... I didn’t remember in time to save you… you _died.”_

Kunzite seemed startled by that revelation, though not enough to keep him from pressing his mouth against hers. His lips molded perfectly to hers like they were made specifically to kiss her, and she whimpered, reciprocating with all of the pent up grief and passion that had simmered into something barely manageable. 

When they pulled apart, they were breathless, and Minako was desperate for more. Kunzite stopped her, though, nipping at the curve of her jaw with a playful laugh. “Minako, If Beryl had plans to come for me, they never came to fruition. For as long as I can remember, you’d haunted my dreams. You told me your name was Minako, and you begged me not to forget you. I found you in London, El’ Fuella. Years ago.”

Minako curled her arms around his neck, propelled herself against him, and buried her face into the crook of his shoulder. “Oh, my God, Kunz,” she whispered against his neck. “I get to keep you? _I actually get to keep you?”_

Kunzite laughed, wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her off of the ground, and hoisted her flush against him. “That was always the plan, Mina,” he growled, his breath ruffling her hair. “I promised you once that I could never forget that I love the girl with the red bow. I _meant_ it.” 

Minako Aino was a lot of things. She was sometimes flippant, bubbly, optimistic, and on occasion, she’d been known to self-indulge a little too much in the things she loved. She also never looked a gift cow in the mouth. Or was it a horse? Either way, she was not going to take this for granted, and as she crushed her mouth onto Kunzites again, roughly helping him out of his suit jacket, deftly undressing him, a fleeting thought of Setsuna crossed Minako’s mind. 

She decided that she wasn’t going to murder her. Maybe Pluto wasn’t such a bitch after all. 

oOo

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! This is the final chapter!  
> Once again, thanks to my artist, Iamcharlotte88, the Mods for the SSminibang, and my awesome Bae-ta NinjetteTwitch!  
> If you guys liked this, please be sure to check out the rest of the bang goodness posted in the coming month or so!! It's going to be EPIC!!


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